Councils under state performance oversight in NSW
NSW has introduced a Statement of Expectations Order that benchmarks councils on development application timeframes and planning performance. The state now publishes a Council League Table and can intervene where results do not improve.
For homeowners, developers and applicants, NSW council DA performance now has a more direct impact on how development applications are reviewed, managed and progressed.
If a council continues to perform below expectations, the government can appoint experts, issue Performance Improvement Orders or reassign planning powers. For applicants, this means council performance is no longer just an internal matter. It can directly affect how a development application is managed, reviewed and progressed.
Councils under oversight right now
Following persistent delays, NSW has appointed independent expert planners to some councils and an expert engineer to another to help clear development application bottlenecks.
Earlier in 2025, the government also put six councils on notice to submit action plans: Georges River, Sutherland, Willoughby, North Sydney, Wingecarribee and Queanbeyan-Palerang.
North Sydney and Queanbeyan-Palerang subsequently improved enough to avoid further action at that time. Separate reporting has also highlighted the depth of delays at some councils, including Wingecarribee recording the longest average DA times in the state earlier this year.
Before lodging, applicants should check the NSW Office of Local Government page for current council interventions and the Planning NSW Council League Table for the latest performance data.
What NSW council DA performance means for applicants
Closer case management: Expect tighter triage, clearer pre-lodgement advice and more scrutiny of incomplete submissions. Oversight is intended to shorten queues by improving process discipline.
Fewer surprises if you prepare well: High-quality drawings, clause-level compliance notes and early engineering and landscape inputs can reduce requests for information and rework.
Potential pathway choice: Some proposals may be better handled through Sydney district or regional planning panels where referral timeframes are also being monitored. Check whether your proposal triggers panel referral before locking in a pathway.
Funding pressure: The state is linking council performance to eligibility for certain grants. Poor performance can mean missing out on funding that supports local infrastructure tied to housing delivery.
How to protect your timeline if you are in one of these LGAs
1. Prepare a complete pre-lodgement package
Align your submission with the Statement of Expectations benchmarks. Include a clean assessment report, code compliance table, overshadowing and overlooking diagrams, stormwater strategy and a landscape plan with canopy trees where required.
2. Use the data
Check your council’s current metrics on the Council League Table and plan contingencies if you see extended average timeframes for your application type.
3. Consider alternate pathways
For eligible projects, explore panel referral, staged approvals or modified scopes that fit fast-track assessment settings.
4. Front-load specialist advice
Submit structural, civil, traffic and ESD inputs at lodgement where relevant. Oversight periods reward complete applications and can expose weak or incomplete documentation quickly.
5. Keep escalation factual
If milestones slip, reference the Statement of Expectations in correspondence and request a case review. Keep communication factual, documented and solutions-focused.
What this means for your DA
NSW is actively intervening where development application performance lags. As of late 2025, Georges River, Wingecarribee, Willoughby and Sutherland are subject to state-appointed experts, with other councils having been put on notice earlier in the year.
For applicants, the lesson is not to wait for the process to fix itself. Strong preparation still matters. A complete, well-coordinated application gives council fewer reasons to pause assessment and helps protect the project timeline.
For homeowners and developers, this is also a reminder that planning strategy should start early. Understanding the relevant council, approval pathway, documentation requirements and likely assessment risks can make a meaningful difference before a DA is lodged.
At Zane Carter Architects, this forms part of our early feasibility and planning process. You can explore our residential architecture portfolio or learn more about our studio.
