Gold Coast Waterways Authority

The Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) Board recognised the need for an independent, high-level review of the assessment practices of the GCWA under the Planning Act 2016 (Planning Act) and the Land Act 1994 (Land Act) to identify opportunities for improvement and the delivery of best-practice services. The GCWA Board acknowledged the small scale of the GCWA and were aware of the range, volume and complexity of the applications being processed by the assessment team.

We adopted the engagement principles of empathy, transparency and honesty to authentically engage with the GCWA Board, GCWA Senior Management, the Waterways assessment team and invited external stakeholders. A desktop review was conducted along with a peer review and gap analysis across the themes of people, process and systems to outline a number of key focus areas which led to a number of recommendations. As a final step, the Queensland State Planner, a nominated GCWA Board member and the Manager of the Waterways assessment team were interviewed to assist in validating the recommendations.

An independent report and Board presentation was delivered to provide a clear direction to improve assessment practices of the GCWA under the Planning Act and Land Act. Each of the recommendations is fit-for-purpose and is supported by a clear articulation of the benefit(s), indicative costs for delivery and proposed timeframes. The Board now has confidence in delivering a clear mandate for business improvement – including defined areas for future investment – and the Waterways team is engaged and committed to change.