Artificial intelligence (AI) can help accelerate planning processes by harnessing the power of big data, improving productivity and reducing the administrative burden on planners.
The NSW Government is investing $5.6 million to explore how existing and mature AI and other digital solutions can be used by councils to enhance the local development application process, particularly in the pre-lodgement phase.
The AI in NSW Planning project is focused on delivering 2 key outcomes:
1. Enabling councils to assess development applications more efficiently by improving the quality of submitted applications.
2. Identifying a selection of suitable and ready-to-deploy AI and digital products that councils can start using right away.
AI Solutions Panel
The AI Solutions Panel was established in April 2024 and is a centralised resource of mature and suitable AI products that councils can procure and integrate into their development assessment workflows.
Solutions were evaluated against essential criteria including, but not limited to, alignment with the identified use cases and compliance with all relevant NSW Government AI policies such as the NSW AI Assurance Framework and AI Ethics Policy.
All NSW councils can initiate procurement for product solutions through the AI Solutions Panel.
Information and guidance for councils on how to use the AI Solutions Panel.
On Friday 3 May 2024 the department held a virtual event for councils, showcasing the successful products available on the AI Solutions Panel. The showcase event included an introduction to the panel, supplier presentations and Q&A.
Council staff can request a recording of the event by contacting the AI in NSW Planning project team at [email protected]
The list of successful suppliers, the selected product solutions and a brief summary of the product offering.
Councils may request detailed supplier information, including pricing and product details, by contacting the AI in NSW Planning project team at [email protected]
Opportunity to join the AI Solutions Panel
The department is seeking to expand the AI Solutions Panel with an additional priority use case and competitive tender process.
From 16 May, AI suppliers are invited to submit mature and standalone AI product solutions that can provide guidance and improve the quality of local development application documentation submitted to councils.
The application period for AI suppliers to submit their solution is open until 11 June 2024. For details on the competitive tender, visit the eTendering website.
Early Adopter Grant Program now open
The NSW Government is providing up to $3 million to support councils implement AI solutions from the existing selection of products on the AI Solutions Panel through the Early Adopter Grant Program.
The Early Adopter Grant Program is open to all eligible councils that can demonstrate their readiness to implement and leverage AI solutions to improve their pre-lodgement or overall development application efforts.
Applications are now open. Councils are invited to review the Grant Program guideline and submit a grant application by 22 May 2024.
Grant guideline and supporting information
The guideline provides further details about eligibility and the assessment process.
The following resources are available to council staff:
- Council grant briefing recording
- AI Solutions Panel Product Showcase (recording available to council staff on request)
- AI Solutions Panel Contracting Framework Training (recording available on request)
- AI Solutions Panel Council operating guideline (PDF, 4.2 MB)
- AI Solutions Panel supplier list (PDF, 1.8 MB)
For any questions or clarifications, contact the AI in NSW Planning team at [email protected]
Key dates
Dates may be subject to change.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 30 April 2024 | AI Solutions Panel established |
| 30 April 2024 | Early Adopter Grant Program applications open |
| 3 May 2024 | AI Solutions Panel Product Showcase for NSW councils |
| 7 May 2024 | Contracting framework training session for NSW councils |
| 16 May 2024 | Applications open to industry for new tender process |
| 22 May 2024 | Grant Program applications close |
| June 2024 | Grant funding distributed |
| 11 June 2024 | Applications close for new tender process |
| July 2024 | AI Solutions Panel refreshed |
Frequently asked questions
Artificial intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines, enabling them to perform tasks that typically require human thinking. This can include problem-solving, learning and decision-making.
Most AI tools use ‘machine learning’. Instead of telling a machine what to do, AI tools work by giving them lots of examples of the right and wrong way to do a task – and the machine learns for itself. For example, if you give an AI tool lots of data that shows a driverless car being driven correctly – it eventually learns to do the same itself.
The department is exploring how AI can help NSW councils create workflow efficiencies at the pre-lodgement phase of the local development application process, that is, the aspects related to preparing an application.
The project has confirmed a panel of suitable existing and mature AI solutions that councils can readily integrate into their pre-lodgement workflows. The successful solutions are now available on an approved supplier list for councils to procure and implement.
As much as possible, the department is focusing on existing and mature AI product solutions. Selected solutions have met proof-of-value and proof-of-concept requirements.
In collaboration with councils, we initially identified 4 key priority areas, or ‘use cases’, for the application of AI.
We encouraged suppliers to demonstrate how their solution addresses these priority areas through the first tender process for the AI Solutions Panel. The identified focus areas allow for solutions workflows such as complying development certificates to be considered as part of this process.
The 4 key priority areas are:
1. Pathways and requirements finder
How councils may help prospective applicants identify site specific development requirements (for complying development and/or development applications) so that they can expedite their development process.
2. Material self-assessment health check
How councils may help applicants conduct a self-assessment before lodgement of their development application so that that they can address any potential barriers or gaps in their documentation.
3. Risk-based triage
How council staff may quickly identify non-compliant elements within a submission (for development applications and/or complying development) so that the triage process is efficient and improves council’s productivity.
4. Material assurance
How council staff may verify an applicant's supplied documentation so that they can have confidence about the quality and provenance of the material submitted.
In May 2024, we identified an additional priority area for industry suppliers to demonstrate how their solution addresses the following ‘use case’ through a new competitive open tender process for the AI Solutions Panel.
The additional priority area is:
5. Site-specific documentation support
How might council provide guidance on site specific development application documentation, so that the relevance and quality of documents improves, and the pre-lodgement process is more efficient?
The AI Solutions Panel will be routinely refreshed with additional AI solutions that are market-ready, and address use cases identified in collaboration with NSW councils.
The first competitive open tender process was announced in February 2024 and resulted in the establishment of the AI Solutions Panel.
The latest process was announced in May 2024 and a refreshed AI Solutions Panel is expected to be announced by July 2024.
The department co-designed the priority areas alongside councils, through several collaboration sessions. This approach has ensured that the AI product solutions demonstrate a required improvement in council pre-lodgement workflows, and the ability to be integrated into existing council systems.
Data privacy and security will be prioritised, with robust measures in place to ensure the safe handling and protection of all information. All products will be evaluated against existing legal frameworks, the NSW Government AI Assurance Framework and the NSW AI Ethics Policy.
Grant applications are now open and close at 11pm, 22 May 2024. Details about the timeline can be found in the grant guideline.
Details about the assessment and evaluation process, including all eligibility and evaluation criteria, are set out in the grant guideline.
There is currently only one round of funding available.
Grant recipients will be required to give regular project milestone reports and a final acquittal report at the completion of the Grant Project, and to participate in ongoing program evaluation and benefits appraisal.
The department may pursue a structured benefits realisation path post 30 June 2024, dependent on continued funding decisions.
The department will adhere to the NSW Government AI Assurance Framework and NSW AI Ethics Policy, which set out 5 overarching principles: trust, transparency, customer benefit, fairness, privacy and accountability.
A key ethical pillar of any use of AI in planning will be transparency. This will guide how the department and councils engage with external providers of AI technologies. Intellectual property rights around models and algorithms will need to be considered in any engagements with service providers. The department and councils must be able to provide their customers with meaningful information about how decisions are made and how data is used.