Mildura also favoured an audit similar to Mitchell, focusing on both planning permit applications and dwellings in the Farming Zone. Thirty eight (38) recommendations were made with respect to improving process and procedures within the statutory planning department.

User groups

This audit also required interviews with the major consultants groups to determine other issues. This revealed:

• Processing times – too slow especially for minor buildings or works and where no objections had been received. Further internal referrals were also slow to be received which delayed the consideration and approval of the application;
• Amendments to permits were completed by making another application, as distinct from the use of secondary consents under existing planning permit conditions;
• Consistency of decision making: there appeared to be wide variations in opinions between officers, especially determining Development Contribution Levies. The standard of application material also varied between officers and consultants;
• Planning permit conditions (inconsistent & ambit claim for works);
• Pre-application with officers was not useful or achieved a smoother passage through the permit process. Applications were not allocated to those officers who had conducted the pre-application meeting, resulting in a lack of continuity;
• Transparency – officer’s reports were not provided to determine how an application was processed. The progress of an application through the process was hard to determine with little feedback being provided;
• Management – staff had become risk averse, conservative and indecisive is response to criticism. This had resulted in a negative attitude towards applicants. Consultants sought to redress this issue;

We concluded that the recommendations of this Audit report, although produced for the Rural City of Mildura, should also be used by the consultants and development community in providing improved application submissions to the Responsible Authority.