ePlanning System

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:21): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister inform the house when the planning portal clock will be reinstated? Is there any reason why the clock was removed from the planning portal? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BELL: The planning portal operates with a clock that allows applicants and planning consultants to follow the time left for approving authorities such as councils to assess and make decisions on development applications. I have had a number of planning consultants contact my office saying that the clock has not been showing on the portal for the past two months, and without the clock operating, applicants and planning consultants are unable to hold the approving authorities to account.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (15:22): I thank the member for the question. I haven't had the same concern raised with me and I do have regular meetings with industry and also with the department to ascertain, since 19 March, how that portal is going. I know there was one incident when there was a short time of several hours in relation to the transmission of services on that portal.

Otherwise, I haven't heard of the removal of the clock or time. I am receiving regular reports as to the compliance of the obligation to have turnaround times within the turnaround times which are now a matter of days, mostly five days, and they are being done in three days. But certainly, I will follow that matter up and get back to the member on that.