The South Australian Government is trialling new AI technology to speed up planning approvals in a bid to get more houses built faster.
The Government has leveraged AI technology to undertake the Automated Decision-Making Pilot, which can make assessments within minutes, instead of the current two week average.
“We are determined to harness the positives of AI to maximise the return for our economy and community,” said Assistant Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy, Michael Brown.
“This project represents a huge leap forward in efforts to streamline and improve the planning process. By automating simpler tasks, technology can reduce the time and resources required for planning assessments, which means getting homes to market sooner without compromising on quality.”
The six-month pilot will test new AI technology which automatically assesses simple development applications.
The key focus is on streamlining the approval of detached dwellings by volume builders in greenfield areas that already fall into the ‘Accepted’ or ‘Deemed to Satisfy’ assessment pathway.
The technology allows users to submit CAD drawings to be automatically evaluated against prescribed criteria. The system then provides a detailed report outlining the results against each relevant planning provision.
It provides near real-time feedback on plans before they are submitted, offering clarity and certainty to applicants, the Government says.
A group of volume builders were engaged to put the AI technology ‘through its paces’, initially testing the system and contributing to an iterative build and test process to ensure accuracy and usability.
“This new AI technology is not about replacing human jobs – it’s about automating simpler tasks so that the planning professionals can focus their attention where it’s needed most,” said Mr Brown.
“The input from the building industry in the testing has been important in ironing out any issues and ensuring this new technology meets the needs of all users
“The success of this pilot demonstrates the Government’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve efficiency and transparency,” he said.
The implementation project for the new technology is expected to start from late this month. At implementation, the technology will be integrated with the existing PlanSA assessment systems.
