The Planning Authority in Canberra is grappling with significant challenges as the city's rapid growth strains its complex planning system.Industry stakeholders report extended wait times for development approvals, exacerbated by duplicative processes and inconsistent advice across government departments.

Deputy Director-General Sam Engele highlighted that merging directorates in 2025 has created redundancies, with some environment-related processes now duplicated.The agency is working to simplify procedures, including removing unnecessary steps for low-risk developments and streamlining approval timelines.While 82.8% of applications were decided within mandated timeframes in 2025-26, complex cases remain a bottleneck.

Engele emphasized the need to treat the planning system as a unified process rather than isolated silos, with potential legislative changes to lease variation charges.Developers and residents face delays, such as a 10-month wait for approvals and rejected applications due to tree removal requirements.The focus is on balancing regulatory oversight with efficiency to support Canberra's expanding infrastructure needs.