How Cowra Shire Council sped up planning applications

Customer Case Study: Cowra Shire Council

Cowra Shire Council had been facing challenges in its planning processes, particularly in handling applications and managing documents efficiently. Seeking a solution, the council engaged with the Accelerate Team to implement a new Planning Portal Integration System.

The collaboration between Cowra Shire Council and Accelerate resulted in the successful implementation of the Planning Portal Integration System. By addressing the challenges related to application handling and document management, Accelerate delivered an efficient and effective solution. The simpler process, better document tracking and working system integration have greatly improved Council’s operations, leading to increased efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Challenges

• Inefficient Application Handling: The council experienced significant double handling of applications, which resulted in delays and increased administrative burden.
• Document Management Complexity: The council struggled with capturing and logging all documents related to planning applications, leading to a lack of confidence in their document management system.
• Integration Difficulties: Integrating Council’s systems with the NSW Planning Portal posed technical challenges and required close coordination between different platforms.

Solution

• A simpler application process: Accelerate implemented the Planning Portal Integration System, which simplified Council’s operating systems. The new system cut double handling of applications and simplified how documentation is submitted into both Council’s systems and the NSW Planning Portal. This resulted in faster processing times and improved efficiency.
• Enhanced Document Management: The integration system implemented by Accelerate captured all documents loaded into the NSW Planning Portal by applicants and documents created by Council. By integrating these documents with Council’s document management system, the council gained confidence that all relevant documents were logged and easily accessible. That tightened document management and improved record-keeping.
• Successful System Integration: Accelerate integrated Council’s existing systems with the NSW Planning Portal. Their team collaborated closely with Council to ensure a smooth transition and effective operation of the new system. This integration eliminated data silos, reducing manual data entry and enabling efficient data exchange between different platforms.

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Benefits

• Increased Efficiency: The implementation of the Planning Portal Integration System cut administrative work and simplified the application process.
• Enhanced Document Tracking: Council now has a document management system that captures and logs all planning-related documents.
• Cost and Time Savings: By eliminating redundant tasks and automating processes, the integration system delivered cost and time savings for the council.
• Improved Collaboration: The integration between Council’s systems and the NSW Planning Portal improved collaboration between stakeholders.