Development Assessment Forum
- Useful Articles
- Meeting Summary Sydney 24/08/07
- The Move to eDA
- DAF Charter
- DAF Principles
- DAF Reporting Arrangements
- DAF Leading Practice Model for Development Assessment
- National Standards in DA Definitions
The Development Assessment Forum (DAF) was formed in 1998 to recommend ways to streamline development assessment and cut red tape - without sacrificing the quality of the decision making.
The Forum's membership includes the three spheres of government - the Commonwealth, State/Territory and Local Government; the development industry; and related professional associations.
DAF members usually meet every three months in different jurisdictions. The Forum is chaired by Peter Allen, Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development.
Through its linkages with the Planning Officials Group, DAF provides advice and recommendations to Local Government and Planning Ministers. Secretariat support and some project funding for the work programme is provided by the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
DAF's work programme is developed annually with projects undertaken directly by members, or where appropriate, consultants. The DAF's work programme stems from the Leading Practice Model for Development Assessment, which outlines development assessment reforms for Australia. Some of DAF's current projects include:
- eDA - electronic development assessment
- Track-based Assessments
- Benchmarking
- Objective Rules and Tests
Background
The need for improvements in development assessment systems was recognised as essential back in 1996:
- The Bell report Time for Business [
PDF: 412 KB] identified a number of important areas where red tape needed to be cut. Recommendation 29 suggested:
That the three spheres of government develop a reform strategy for referral and concurrence procedures in the building and development industry by 1 July 1997. The strategy should include a system for resolving problems between government agencies and ensuring the delegation of decision making to the lowest level practicable taking into account the scale of development.
- The Prime Minister responded in 1997 with More Time for Business [PDF: 586 KB], in which he accepted the recommendation and reported that the three spheres of government were working on reforms.
- Industry groups and relevant professional bodies prepared their own report, entitled Unfinished Business [PDF: 76 KB], calling for an intergovernmental agreement on development assessment.
These reports led to an historic meeting in Adelaide in June, 1998, which identified the need for reforms and resulted in the formation of the Development Assessment Forum.
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