In an effort to speed up development approvals and deliver desperately needed housing faster, some Australian councils are trialling the use of AI to sort through building applications.

Burwood, Blacktown, Inner West, Bayside, Randwick, Canterbury Bankstown, Cumberland and Hawkesbury councils are all taking part in a state government trial of AI to help fast track development approvals.

It is hoped the system will alleviate the time it takes for planners to have to wade through applications to determine whether they actually meet current regulations.

The system is being trialled on simple applications, such as new houses, renovations or duplexes. The AI, trained with the Council’s own planning regulations, should be able to quickly determine those applications that already meet existing rules. The approval system will not be fully automated, as a council planner will sign off on the project after the public feedback stage.

NSW Housing Minister Paul Scully says the AI is designed to assist, not replace, town planners.