HIA backs Development Assessment Panels to deliver planning certainty

HIA Executive Director Benjamin Price said the Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) Bill will bring independence, expertise, and transparency to planning decisions for eligible developments.

"For too long, developments have been delayed or blocked for reasons that have little to do with planning merit. DAPs will take politics out of planning and ensure decisions are based on evidence, not local political considerations," Mr Price said.

The Bill empowers the Tasmanian Planning Commission to appoint expert panels to assess significant development applications, freeing elected councillors to focus on representing their communities.

"This reform delivers certainty for developers and the community. Professional panels will provide consistent, timely decisions, which is essential to unlocking housing supply and restoring confidence in Tasmania's planning system," Mr Price said.

The Bill also strengthens community engagement through mandatory public hearings, ensuring local voices are heard. At the same time, it removes the conflict faced by elected councillors when acting as a planning authority, allowing them to speak freely - including in hearings - and better advocate for their communities.

"Mandatory hearings give communities a stronger voice, while freeing local councillors from the conflicts they often face as planning authorities. This reform lets elected representatives speak openly and better advocate for their communities," Mr Price said.

HIA's submission calls for lower eligibility thresholds to unlock mid-sized developments and accelerate housing supply, alongside the Bill's proposed expert panels, transparency through public hearings, and Tribunal-level certainty from the outset.

"Tasmania deserves a planning system that works. DAPs are a proven model in other states, and this reform will help deliver the homes and other developments that Tasmanians need," Mr Price said.

Criticism of DAPs is inconsistent when many of the same voices supported the Tasmanian Planning Commission's expert panel process for the stadium project.

"It's hard to take criticism of DAPs seriously when the same voices supported a Tasmanian Planning Commission panel for the stadium project. If expert panels are good enough for a billion-dollar stadium, they're good enough to unlock housing supply and other developments for Tasmanians," Mr Price said.