This communication is to update building industry stakeholders on the progress of the State Government’s Instant Start initiative.
In November 2014, the State Government announced that it would introduce reforms in the following year that would allow registered builders to commence construction of single residences prior to the granting of a building permit but upon lodgement of a complete certified building permit application, while the permit authority processes the application. Under this initiative, called Instant Start, the certified building permit application must be accompanied by a verification that the design complies with all relevant planning requirements.
The Government has prepared necessary amendments to the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 that would allow an owner of the land to provide verification that the design for a proposed single residence complies with all relevant planning requirements. These amendments will take effect on 19 October 2015.
Once these amendments are in place, the Ministerial Order to enable Instant Start will be drafted accordingly.
Once the Ministerial Order takes effect toward the end of 2015, it will be open to an applicant to submit a certified building permit application and for the builder to rely on Instant Start to commence construction if the requirements in the Building Act 2011 and the Building Regulations have been satisfied.
Further updates will be communicated as they become available.