North Sydney and Willoughby Councils placed on notice for lengthy DA wait times.

By ANNA USHER

NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has placed North Sydney and Willoughby Councils on notice after failing to meet their Development Application targets.

Both have been told they have three months to “swiftly improve” housing approvals or face being stripped of their assessment powers.

If Willoughby and North Sydney LGAs fail to start meeting development application goals, Mr Scully has warned he will “compel compliance” with DA assessment targets.

The NSW Department of Planning wants most Sydney Councils to decide DAs within 115 days.

For 2024-2025, Willoughby Council has assessed just 166 Development Applications (91 single dwelling and 15 multi-dwelling), with an average wait time of 194 days.

North Sydney doesn’t fare much better, with 146 Development Applications assessed (62 single dwelling and 39 multi dwelling) along with an average wait time of 154 days.

By comparison, Mosman LGA – with its much smaller population, assessed 91 Development Applications (65 single dwellings and 7 multi dwellings) with a wait time of 109 days.

Mr Scully has given North Sydney and Willoughby Councils 28 days to reply with an endorsed “action plan,” including an “associated program to swiftly improve performance”.

“If there is no improvement the Government has a range of powers to compel compliance, including the issuing of a Performance Improvement Order,” he said.

A Performance Improvement Order is a way for the state government to step in to take over from councils which fail to meet their obligations.

The order would start with a plan to speed up assessment processes.

If assessments do not improve, Mr Scully could install a planning administrator or put a regional planning panel in charge.

In a statement, a North Sydney Council spokesperson said the council is putting in place “improvement strategies” to determine DAs faster.