The data in this publication provides an overview of development trends in NSW for 2006-07, aspects of the performance of the 152 councils in NSW in assessing local development, and general indications of the performance of the NSW planning system.

The information contained in the attached report was collected by surveying all councils on development applications (DAs), section 96(s96) modifications, complying development certificates (CDCs) and post development consent certificates (building and subdivision) determined during 2006-07.

The data used is as reported by councils.

This year's data provides substantial information on the local development planning system, covering the following key areas:

• DAs by number and proportion
• s96 modifications to change aspect of an existing approved DA
• CDCs by number and proportion
• Total value of DAs
• Number of DAs determined by value
• DAs gross determination times and net determination times by value
• Types of development by number and processing time
• Court cases and legal expenses and reviews
• Staff involved in DA processing and the nature of determinations
• Number of post development consent certificates.

Information is presented on a State-wide, regional, and individual council basis.

Where possible, the data has been compared to the 2005-06 survey data, and in a few cases previous year's data, to understand trends. However, there are differences in the way the 2006-07 data was collected and analysed, which influence the degree to which comparisons can be made - refer to Appendix1 of the attached report for further details.

The publication does not assess the performance of councils or private certifiers in assessing subsequent stages of the approval process, i.e. assessing applications for a constructions certificate or inspections during and post construction. The publication focuses on quantitative data rather than qualitative information.