The regional council of Wingecarribee was the worst-performing NSW council in the last financial year for development applications (DA) assessment times.
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The Southern Highlands council posted a whopping 239-day average (almost 8 months) from July 2024 to June 2025.
This is compared to the state average of 102 days.
Illawarra Shoalhaven councils had an average of 99 days, and the rest of the regional councils had an average of 96 days for the last financial year.
Greater Sydney had an assessment time of 106 days in 2024/2025.
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Other regional councils that featured in the bottom ten were Central Coast (169 days), Hawkesbury (151 days), Tweed and Bourke (150 days), Ballina (149 days) and Queanbeyan-Palerang (145 days).
Council league table data show a 24 per cent decrease in assessment timeframes in the last financial year, with DAs now being assessed in 83 days on average, or less than three months.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said councils that fail to improve their assessment timeframes will miss out on $200 million extra in grant money for local infrastructure projects from the Minns government,
The Faster Assessment Incentive program funds local infrastructure projects for councils expected to deliver a higher proportion of housing under the five-year housing targets, and that are reducing their development assessment timeframes or keeping their assessment timeframes down.
Mr Scully said councils had "worked hard" to improve their performance.
"We have applied both the carrot and the stick, and now we're seeing results," he said.
"A 24 per cent reduction in assessment timeframes means DAs are being approved and builders can get construction underway faster and reduce costs."
Carla Mascarenhas
Carla Mascarenhas is a journalist with Explore Travel and The Senior. She specialises in deep issues affecting Gen X and beyond, and the latest in travel news. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
