The New South Wales (NSW) Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure (DPHI) is seeking AI solutions to enhance the development application (DA) process and reduce manual workloads for councils. The aim is to streamline the pre-lodgement phase and expedite the development approval process. The DPHI is inviting industries to submit proposals for innovative existing and mature AI technology solutions that align with the NSW AI Assurance Framework and AI Ethics Policy.
The applications will be evaluated based on their ability to address priority focus areas, demonstrate low impact implementation, and align with the specified frameworks and policies. Successful suppliers will be given the opportunity to showcase their products and share ideas with councils. Following the evaluation, the DPHI will provide a list of suitable AI products to councils and guide them on how to engage with the suppliers and select the best AI tools for their needs.
The DPHI has identified four priority areas to assist councils during the pre-lodgement DA phase. These include a pathways and requirements finder, a document self-assessment health check, a risk-based triage system, and document assurance. These tools aim to help applicants identify development requirements, assess their documentation, identify non-compliant elements, and ensure the quality of submitted materials.
The project is guided by principles of trust, transparency, customer benefit, fairness, privacy, and accountability. More than 30 metro and regional councils have participated in workshops to identify the key challenges faced during the pre-DA lodgement process. These councils emphasized the need for a simplified and streamlined application process that provides essential information and documentation requirements for site-specific DAs.
Several councils, including Port Stephens Council and Wagga Wagga City Council, have already shown interest in utilizing AI technologies to enhance their DA processes. The introduction of AI is expected to facilitate the correct formatting of applications, eliminate the back-and-forth exchanges between councils and applicants, and provide step-by-step guidance for occasional developers who may find the process confusing.
Councils foresee potential benefits in terms of improved application quality, reduced processing timeframes, and educational opportunities for the community and landowners. The AI tools will not only expedite the DA process but also ensure the relevance of applications, enhance productivity, and support the government’s objective of faster and increased housing development.
In conclusion, the NSW DPHI is soliciting innovative AI solutions from industries to streamline the pre-lodgement phase and reduce manual workloads for councils. The aim is to expedite the development application process and ultimately deliver more housing faster. The selected AI tools will assist councils in areas such as requirements identification, document assessment, non-compliant element identification, and document verification. This initiative is expected to simplify the application process, improve efficiency, and provide benefits to both councils and applicants.
