User-friendly application forms are available for all new Queensland planning proposals ahead of next week's commencement of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.
According to minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Stirling Hinchliffe, the new integrated development assessment system (IDAS) application forms will streamline plan-making and development assessment.
"Making these forms public will give applicants and councils a head-start ... and will ensure a smooth transition when the Act comes into effect next week," he said. "The Sustainable Planning Act (SPA) replaces the Integrated Planning Act (IPA) so that planning and development assessment is better, simpler and more efficient."
The new plans are easier to read and use and will improve the quality of the information that applicants provide to their assessment manager. They are also more specific to the type of development that is being applied for and clearly spell out the supporting information that must be provided.
"From next Friday, when the new Act commences, the Smart eDA system will also enable applicants to prepare their application online using the new forms," Hinchliffe said.
Smart eDA provides an internet-based service for preparing, lodging and assessing applications. Development applications lodged after 18 December must use the approved forms under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, but applications lodged before 18 December must be done on the current Integrated Planning Act 1997 IDAS forms.
Another major change to streamline the approval process is the former IDAS checklist will be a guide for applicants, and will not be mandatory to complete.
"The former IDAS checklist, under IPA, covered every possible application and so for many simple applications was unwieldy and added very little value," Hinchliffe said. "By making it non-mandatory, there should be much less information required for simple applications."
