$5.6 Million Allocated to Harness Artificial Intelligence for Faster Development Processes
The New South Wales (NSW) government is allocating $5.6 million towards the development of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions aimed at expediting the approval process for development applications (DAs).
The Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure (DPHI) in NSW is seeking proposals from technology firms to create products that streamline manual tasks and aid councils during the pre-lodgement phase of development applications.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, reassured councils and communities that the initiative is not about replacing human resources with AI tools. Instead, the goal is to introduce technology that “frees up planners from repetitive daily tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex DAs.”
The NSW government is specifically seeking proposals for four key products:
- 1. A “pathways and requirements finder” to assist prospective applicants in identifying site-specific development requirements, thereby expediting the development process.
- 2. A document health check to identify potential barriers or gaps in applicants’ documentation before submission.
- 3. Risk-based triage to help council staff quickly identify non-compliant elements within submissions.
- 4. Document assurance to verify the authenticity of applicant documentation.
Interested parties have until March 11 to submit their proposals. The government will then shortlist suitable products for presentation to councils, aiming to confirm a list of viable AI solutions and provide guidance on supplier engagement and tool integration.
Minister Scully highlighted the participation of over 30 metro and regional councils in workshops to identify suitable tools for expediting DA timeframes. He stressed the importance of empowering local councils, responsible for approximately 85% of all new dwellings in NSW, with AI tools to enhance the planning system’s efficiency.
“Introducing more AI features into our planning system is about working smarter, enabling councils to assess DAs faster and facilitate the construction of homes where they are most needed,”
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully
He further mentioned ongoing trials of AI tools, including chatbots and automated document processing, to support triage queries and improve response times on the state’s Planning Portal.
