Building industry concerns regarding the timeframes taken to obtain planning approvals has prompted the Council to respond by introducing a "fast-track service" for simple applications.

Mayor Val Schier said Council had sought feedback from the building industry to gauge the level of customer satisfaction when applying for planning approvals and to identify opportunities for improvement.

“There was an overall perception that Council needed to be more responsive to the current economic climate when dealing with smaller applications, specifically those of a domestic scale through the approval process,” Cr Schier said.

Kelly Reaston, the Manager of Council's Development Assessment branch said the result was a streamlined process that makes gaining a planning approval for a house a much simpler affair.

“One of the biggest hurdles we face in reducing the time taken to assess an application is clearly communicating to the industry the level of information that is required by the relevant legislation and regulations.

“To this end, we have developed a simple checklist for building certifiers, builders and first-time applicants to follow.

“Applications that contain the necessary information will be rewarded with a fast-track approval process, which seeks to significantly reduce the assessment timeframe.

Ms Reaston said applications that are eligible for the fast track approval process will be assessed in less than half the time allowed for under the relevant legislation.
 
For more information regarding the fast-track application or to download a copy of the Application Kit, visit www.cairns.qld.gov.au.