The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has launched a new program to help councils improve the efficiency of planning systems .

MAV President Bill McArthur said the STEP planning process improvement program will target scarce resources and deliver better outcomes for users of Victoria’s planning system, the

“The new STEP program uses an intensive audit and review approach, and participating councils will be able to pinpoint their trouble spots, prioritise areas for improvement and ultimately deliver better and faster planning decisions.

“This initiative is a tangible demonstration of the improvements that local government is making to give communities and developers more confidence in the State’s planning system,” he said.

Speaking at the launch, the Hon. Justin Madden, Minister for Planning has also supported the STEP planning program for its potential to revolutionise how State, local government and the development sector work together in the future.

Also attending the launch of the STEP planning program, Darryl Crumpton, President of the Building Designers Association of Victoria said the BDAV and its members were supportive of programs that bring about more timely decisions and a greater consistency in decision-making within and across councils.

The STEP planning program emerged from work with a number of councils, as well as the Planning Process Improvement for Melbourne’s Growth Areas (PPIMGA) project sponsored by the MAV, the Growth Areas Authority and the Department of Planning and Community Development.

This initiative showed the significant value in pursuing process improvements, with the project forecast to create savings of up to $11.7 million annually for the development industry.

From today, councils will be able to submit their expressions of interest for the first STEP planning program intake in October 2010. In February 2011 the first annual conference will be held to share council experiences and analyse best practice approaches both interstate and internationally.

Cr McArthur said that the consistent application of legislative requirements was important to the credibility of councils and the delivery of their planning services.

“Over time we believe the program will result in a significant convergence of practice and overall improvement in the perception of councils’ performance in planning.

“Local government plays a critical role in Victoria’s planning system – undertaking strategic planning, engaging with communities and making local decisions that offer a net community benefit. Councils are committed to improving their processes and working with stakeholders to deliver high-quality decisions faster,” he said.