Homeowners and builders in the Davidson electorate are saving time and money by accessing planning tools at the click of a button as part of a NSW Government program, State MP, Jonathan O’Dea said.
“The Electronic Housing Code (EHC) has been in place since 2009 and allows development proposals to be prepared, lodged and tracked online.
“The O’Farrell Government’s landmark reforms will continue the trend towards streamlining development decisions and bring the NSW planning system into the 21st Century,” Mr O’Dea said.
Ku-ring-gai and Warringah Councils are among 34 currently using the EHC system, while 30 more councils that have recently shared in $1 million in State funding to help them set up the system.
“At the click of a button, mum and dad property owners can find out what is possible on their land and get fast-tracked approval for eligible projects,” Mr O’Dea said.
Local homeowners and builders will benefit from a faster, simpler and more user-friendly system. EHC lets property owners find out what is possible on their land without having to wade through hundreds of pages of complex documents.
EHC allows people to:
- Find out whether they are eligible to undertake exempt development (no planning approval required) or compliant development (certifier can approve within 10 days) on their property; and
- Prepare, lodge and track applications online.
Common complying development types include home extensions, new homes, swimming pools and garages.
NSW Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Brad Hazzard said it is anticipated that 80 councils will be live on the EHC by June next year.
Mr Hazzard said the Planning Bill, recently introduced into Parliament, makes provision for a NSW planning database.
“This means that, for the first time, the availability of online planning information in NSW will be enshrined in legislation and supported by a range of user-friendly tools, such as the EHC,” he said.
For more information, visit www.ehc.nsw.gov.au
