Willoughby City Council and North Sydney Council are in the bottom 10 for Development Application Approvals.
In a recent report by Sydney renovation firm Nouvelle, all Great Sydney Councils were averaged and ranked for their approval wait times for the 2023-2024 financial year.
Willoughby City Council ranked 30 out of 33 Councils, averaging 238 total days for approval. North Sydney Council fell shorter, ranking 32 out of 33 Councils with an average wait time of 266 days until approval.
These numbers appear even more troublesome compared to the number of applications lodged.
Crowned first for fastest approval time, Wollondilly Council’s average wait time for approval was 61 days, with 517 applications lodged.
Willoughby City had far less applications lodged, at only 161, and North Sydney received only 115 applications, though their speed in assessing applications was slower.
Lane Cove Council ranked 4th, averaging 88 total days. Hornsby Shire Council was 5th, averaging 95 days. Northern Beaches Council was 8th, averaging 113 days. Ku-ring-gai Council was 21st, averaging 165 days.
‘Councils that streamline their approval processes not only help homeowners achieve their dreams faster, but help them keep costs down by avoiding ever-rising material and trade costs,’ says Mike Turner, Managing Director at Nouvelle. ‘If DA approval is required for a project that includes an addition, demolition or a major change to the floor plan, they should allow longer – up to nine and half months’ more if they live in an area like North Sydney or Georges River.’