The NSW government has dedicated $5.6 million to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) technology, aiming to accelerate the assessment of development applications and bolster housing supply.

To achieve this goal, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has called upon AI industry experts to submit their mature and proven AI solutions that have been successfully implemented. The objective is to support councils in streamlining the pre-lodgement phase of development applications.

During the evaluation process, submissions will be carefully reviewed, with assessors emphasising how each proposal addresses key priority areas, demonstrates a seamless implementation process, and aligns with the NSW AI Assurance Framework and AI Ethics Policy. Following this stage, the department will shortlist a range of products and provide councils with guidance on selecting the most suitable AI tools tailored to their specific needs.

A statement released by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, stated that proposal reviews would be guided by six principles: trust, transparency, customer benefit, fairness, privacy, and accountability.

“Councils are responsible for determining approximately 85 percent of all new dwellings in NSW,” Scully said. “Introducing more AI features into our planning system is about working smarter so that councils can assess DAs faster, which helps to build more homes where they are needed most. Using AI tools will help us cut down DA assessment times, saving proponents, councils, developers and taxpayers valuable time and money.

“AI won’t replace our highly skilled planners at the core of the planning system, but it will free them up from repetitive daily tasks so that they can focus on more complex DAs.

“The department is also trialling AI tools such as chatbots and automated document processing to support triage queries and enhance response times for the Planning Portal.”

The DPHI has actively engaged with councils to identify the primary challenges associated with the process, conducting workshops and seeking input from over 30 metropolitan and regional councils.

Among the participating councils was Wagga Wagga City Council. Paul O'Brien, the council manager for development assessment and building certification, expressed how AI could benefit their council by streamlining pre-lodgement applications. He highlighted that AI could automate the task of organising applications into the appropriate format, eliminating the need for time-consuming back-and-forth communication with applicants to clarify project details. This would significantly expedite the process and enhance efficiency for the council.

“For most of the regular clients they understand what needs to happen, however, for occasional developers who might do it once or twice in their lifetime it’s very confusing and having an AI presence can help step them through it,” O’Brien said.

Port Stephens Council manager for development and compliance, Evert Grobbelaar, said they can also see the potential benefits of using AI in the pre-DA lodgement process, such as improving “application quality, reduced DA processing timeframes, and education opportunities for the community and landowners on the lodgement process.”