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The state government’s move last year to establish a streamlined development pathway was welcomed by the property industry, which had long advocated for an improved approvals process.

In the months after COVID-19 reached Australia, the state government negotiated historic planning reforms to expedite development projects and create a pipeline of construction jobs to stimulate the economy.

Among the suite of initiatives was the establishment of the State Development Assessment Unit (SDAU), with the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) granted temporary decision-making powers to determine significant shovel-ready developments (rather than local governments and joint development assessment panels).

The new process was gazetted in July 2020, with project eligibility based on scale and potential job creation.

To read the article in full, including comments from UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck, click here.

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