Singleton City Council has announced an improvement to development applications (DA), with the Council becoming one of the fastest processors in the Hunter region.

Council’s Director of Infrastructure and Planning, Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr said Singleton’s DA processing times averaged just 50 days in the month of March, which was 45 per cent quicker than the NSW state average.

“Council has remained committed to providing exceptional customer service and development application processing times,” Justin said.

“Building projects in Singleton have also continued to ramp up across the local government area, with the number of construction certificates lodged with Council jumping by 26 per cent in 2022/23.

“Much like the rest of the Hunter, while we have seen a decrease in the number of development applications being lodged with Council, the increased number of construction certificate applications demonstrates the confidence within the local building industry.

“Our goal is to keep projects progressing, and to continue playing our part to keep our economy growing,” he said.

“We’re consistently well below the state average for processing times, and in March alone, averaged just 50 days, which is 61 days ahead of the state average.

“This is a trend we have been seeing for over six months, and it just goes to show the dedication and commitment of our small team of staff who are working hard every day to deliver the best possible service that our community expects and deserves.

“This has been a focus area of Council and we’re committed to continue to deliver people’s dreams as efficiently as possible.”

Justin said Council was also committed to making development advice even more accessible with its Planning in the Park initiative, designed for anyone planning to renovate or build in Singleton to speak to Council’s team in an informal setting without a need for an appointment.

“Planning in the Park is a fantastic program that is all about demystifying the planning process. We had a brilliant turnout at Mount Olive in April, and hope to see even more people come along to our next event in July with more information to come in coming weeks,” Justin said.

“Our team is always here to help, and we want to make it even easier for anyone who’s thinking about renovating, building or making improvements on their properties by being able to meet with Council staff at a location that is convenient to them.”