Mercia | Taxation, Business & Finance Advisers

WA’s building and construction industry is bracing for two of its biggest changes in decades, with the imminent introduction of new procedures that will fast-track the development approval process and the issue of building licenses.

The new Building Act due later this year and Development Assessment Panels, which are likely to be in place by July, will allow builders and developers to bypass local government authorities for some approvals that have previously involved lengthy delays.

When it comes into effect, a key change in the Building Act will allow builders and developers to have plans certified by a private building surveyor and then lodged with a local government authority which can issue a building license in 14 days. Development Assessment Panels will remove a council’s authority over larger development applications and are expected to dramatically cut waiting times for planning decisions. 

While the Building Act is still before Parliament, the property council expects the Building Commission to have the private certification framework in place and ready to start in October.

Scott Roberts, a technical director at construction consultants Davis Langdon, said the Building Act means a qualified, registered building surveyor would be able to certify a set of building plans met the building code requirements and would provide the same level of safety and amenity to the community as the public sector approval process.

“Once lodged, the council would have 14 days to issue the building license and that’s where we see the value to the industry in terms of a cost saving and a more efficient process because the council is not having to do its own assessment and possible negotiation,” Mr Roberts said.

By MARISSA LAGUE, The West Australian April 6, 2011, 5:30 am