What does it actually take to get something built, opened, or approved in Australia?
Nobody has written it down. Not completely, not in one place, and not in a form you can compare across a border. So the argument about red tape is conducted almost entirely without evidence, by people who each know one part of it well. This is an attempt to write it down.
104processes mapped
1112steps recorded
141bodies
11jurisdictions
117reform proposals
The question this database is built to answer
Not "is there too much red tape?" -- that question has no answer and never resolves. Instead, four questions that do have answers, for any given process:
- Which steps could be removed because another step already asks the same body the same question?
- Which steps could happen earlier or later, when the same people are already looking at the file?
- Which steps wait on nothing but a diary -- a committee that sits monthly, an inspector booked three weeks out -- rather than on anyone forming a judgement?
- Where does another Australian jurisdiction already do this in fewer steps, without the sky falling in?
Each of those is a query against a structured database, not an opinion. That is the entire design premise: we record every step with its authority, its legal basis, its dependencies, and why it consumes time. The findings fall out.
What this is not
It is not a campaign for deregulation. A step that exists because a building fell down is a step doing its job, and the database is designed to show that just as clearly as it shows waste. Several of the most useful entries will end up reading "this looks redundant and is not."
It is not legal advice, and it never tells you that you may skip something.
It is not finished, and it never will be. Australia has 537 local councils, eight states and territories, and a federal government, each with its own procedures. The honest position is that this is a decades-long documentation project that is useful long before it is complete -- one well-sourced process is worth more than a hundred guesses.
The rule we hold ourselves to
Every duration on this site carries a grade: legislated, published, reported, practitioner, estimate, or unverified. The build refuses to call an unsourced number a fact, and the verification backlog is published as prominently as the findings.
Recently mapped
| Process | Jurisdiction | Steps | Elapsed | Scheduling | Sourced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build a multi storey apartment building — Australian Capital Territory — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | Australian Capital Territory | 18 | 810d | 37% | 6% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — Australian Capital Territory — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | Australian Capital Territory | 21 | 283d | 4% | 14% |
| Get a car driver licence — Australian Capital Territory — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | Australian Capital Territory | 9 | 1485d | 1% | 89% |
| Build a block of townhouses — Australian Capital Territory — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | Australian Capital Territory | 16 | 460d | 39% | 6% |
| Contest a Commonwealth decision at the Administrative Review Tribunal — A merits review application in the NDIS or migration jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 524d | 86% | 17% |
| Older person from first contact to first day of home care — An older person seeking ongoing Support at Home services, entering the system through My Aged Care | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 349d | 68% | 33% |
| Aged care wages are raised through a work value case — The Aged Care Work Value Case, from application to the final staged increase | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 2185d | 8% | 83% |
| Become a qualified aged care worker — A domestic entrant completing a Certificate III in Individual Support and starting work in residential aged care | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 432d | 5% | 14% |
| A person completes a trade apprenticeship — A four-year trade apprenticeship in a priority occupation, from signing a training contract to a completed qualification | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 1296d | 0% | 33% |
| Person obtains Medicare-rebated psychological therapy — An adult seeking psychological therapy under Better Access with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 282d | 7% | 71% |
| A general practice bulk bills and claims the incentives — A general practice deciding whether to bulk bill all services, and establishing its position under both Commonwealth incentives and state payroll tax | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 315d | 0% | 67% |
| Family with a Child Care Subsidy debt after balancing — A family whose income estimate was lower than actual income, producing a debt at balancing | Commonwealth of Australia | 5 | 423d | 0% | 20% |
| Family receives the Child Care Subsidy and is balanced against actual income — A family with a child in centre-based care, claiming the Child Care Subsidy for a full financial year | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 610d | 10% | 43% |
| Child receives dental care under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule — An eligible child aged 0 to 17 receiving basic dental services under the Commonwealth benefit | Commonwealth of Australia | 4 | 31d | 0% | 75% |
| A childcare place is created where the market will not build one — A new or expanded early childhood service in an area with insufficient supply, delivered through the Building Early Education Fund | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 1575d | 13% | 44% |
| Register as a provider of courses to overseas students — An established Australian education provider seeking to enrol international students | Commonwealth of Australia | 5 | 935d | 10% | 20% |
| An entity reports one cyber incident — One serious intrusion at a regulated Australian entity that holds personal information and operates a critical infrastructure asset | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 127d | 0% | 100% |
| An Australian SME becomes able to work on classified defence work — An established Australian small or medium business with relevant technical capability seeking to supply into a classified defence program | Commonwealth of Australia | 10 | 810d | 22% | 30% |
| Acquire a major defence capability — A major capital acquisition in the Integrated Investment Program, passing through the Capability Life Cycle to government second pass approval and contract | Commonwealth of Australia | 10 | 5540d | 10% | 0% |
| Person with disability from seeking work to employed with supports — A working-age person with disability receiving the Disability Support Pension, entering open employment with workplace supports | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 530d | 41% | 22% |
| A farm household in hardship obtains support — A farm household seeking income support and drought assistance | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 410d | 0% | 57% |
| Veteran lodges a compensation claim and receives a determination — A liability and permanent impairment claim under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 487d | 25% | 33% |
| Become a qualified early childhood educator in Australia — A domestic entrant completing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and starting work in a long day care service | Commonwealth of Australia | 10 | 525d | 4% | 30% |
| Overseas-qualified early childhood teacher begins work in Australia — A qualified early childhood teacher trained in a comparable system, recruited to an Australian long day care service | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 389d | 77% | 14% |
| A person is cleared, registered and monitored to work with children in early childhood — One educator entering the early childhood workforce, and then working in a second state | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 93d | 0% | 50% |
| Commonwealth environmental approval for a residential subdivision — Greenfield residential subdivision on land supporting a listed threatened species or ecological community | Commonwealth of Australia | 10 | 755d | 12% | 50% |
| Commonwealth funding reaches a student in a fee-free TAFE place — One funded place, traced from the National Skills Agreement to an enrolled student and a completed qualification | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 1270d | 14% | 12% |
| A doctor enters and completes general practice training — An Australian medical graduate moving from hospital training into the Australian General Practice Training program | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 3747d | 4% | 33% |
| A social housing project funded under the Housing Australia Future Fund — A community housing provider delivering a social and affordable housing development with Commonwealth support | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 2090d | 7% | 33% |
| Environmental and planning approval for high speed rail — Newcastle to Sydney — 194 km of new dedicated high speed rail, roughly 115 km in tunnel, four stations, crossing many local government areas | Commonwealth of Australia | 15 | 2700d | 0% | 27% |
| JobSeeker recipient meets mutual obligations under the compliance framework — A person receiving JobSeeker Payment managed by an employment services provider under the Points Based Activation System | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 51d | 41% | 25% |
| Person seeks restoration and compensation after a wrongly cancelled payment — A person whose income support was cancelled under the compliance framework in circumstances later found to be unlawful | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 1365d | 40% | 38% |
| Person walks into a Medicare Mental Health Centre — An adult seeking mental health support at a free walk-in centre | Commonwealth of Australia | 4 | 4d | 0% | 50% |
| Person with disability from access request to first funded support — An adult with a permanent and significant disability applying to become an NDIS participant | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 311d | 24% | 33% |
| Become a registered NDIS provider — A small provider entering mandatory registration for supported independent living | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 367d | 0% | 17% |
| A new medicine is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme — A new medicine with a financial impact above the Cabinet threshold, from submission to a patient filling a subsidised script | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 930d | 39% | 25% |
| A person is treated for a common condition at a pharmacy — A person seeking assessment and treatment for an uncomplicated urinary tract infection or hormonal contraception at a community pharmacy | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 1d | 0% | 33% |
| A student completes the clearances required before a mandatory placement — One nursing, allied health, teaching or social work student before their first placement, and then before a placement at a second organisation | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 210d | 0% | 50% |
| Skilled worker seeks permanent residence through the points test — An applicant lodging an expression of interest for a points-tested skilled visa without an employer sponsor | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 629d | 81% | 44% |
| A container terminal is approved at an Australian port — One new container terminal and its associated capital dredging at an existing port | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 540d | 0% | 50% |
| Mobile coverage reaches a place the market will not serve — A single new base station in a regional or remote location, delivered through the co-investment programs | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 940d | 19% | 43% |
| Register a company and its tax registrations — federal — New proprietary company, one or two directors | Commonwealth of Australia | 4 | 3d | 0% | 0% |
| Renter receives Commonwealth Rent Assistance — A person receiving a qualifying income support payment and renting privately | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 212d | 0% | 75% |
| Older person enters residential aged care — An older person moving into ongoing residential aged care, from application to commencement | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 258d | 37% | 25% |
| A freight train already built is approved to run from Melbourne to Brisbane — One class of freight rolling stock, already designed and manufactured, entering service on the interstate corridor and its metropolitan approaches | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 540d | 28% | 22% |
| A household installs rooftop solar and is permitted to export — One standard residential system, up to 10 kW single-phase, on an existing home | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 58d | 52% | 33% |
| Register as a training organisation and get onto a funded course list — A new provider seeking initial registration and access to government-funded delivery | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 510d | 0% | 33% |
| Employer sponsors a skilled worker — Skills in Demand visa — An Australian employer sponsoring an offshore worker in the Core Skills stream of the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 171d | 40% | 50% |
| Overseas-trained medical specialist begins practising in Australia — A specialist trained and practising in a comparable health system, recruited to an Australian public hospital | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 266d | 66% | 14% |
| International student obtains a visa and commences study — An offshore applicant for a subclass 500 student visa to study higher education | Commonwealth of Australia | 9 | 196d | 15% | 22% |
| Patient receives a Medicare-rebated telehealth consultation — A patient seeking a GP telehealth consultation with a Medicare rebate, including where a prescription follows | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 4d | 0% | 50% |
| Build a major transmission line — sequential easement pathway — A multi-hundred-kilometre high voltage transmission line designated actionable in the Integrated System Plan, crossing private agricultural land | Commonwealth of Australia | 10 | 4110d | 0% | 60% |
| A state obtains Commonwealth capital for an urban public transport project — One major urban public transport project above the Infrastructure Australia evaluation threshold | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 480d | 38% | 17% |
| A training provider is approved to originate Commonwealth student debt — One private registered training organisation seeking approval to offer income-contingent loans to its students | Commonwealth of Australia | 7 | 780d | 8% | 57% |
| Student obtains a VET Student Loan and incurs a debt — A student seeking income-contingent loan support for a vocational qualification | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 444d | 0% | 38% |
| Former VET FEE-HELP student seeks removal of an unfair debt — A person carrying a VET FEE-HELP debt incurred through a provider's inappropriate conduct | Commonwealth of Australia | 6 | 785d | 23% | 0% |
| A water infrastructure project reaches construction funding — One regional dam, weir or pipeline seeking Commonwealth capital under the National Water Grid Fund | Commonwealth of Australia | 8 | 1990d | 9% | 38% |
| Build and open a residential aged care home — New South Wales — A new residential aged care home of about 120 places, developed by an existing registered provider | New South Wales | 12 | 1581d | 5% | 8% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building via the Housing Delivery Authority — New South Wales — Class 2 residential apartment building meeting the capital investment threshold for declaration as state significant development | New South Wales | 17 | 1048d | 18% | 6% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — New South Wales — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | New South Wales | 19 | 870d | 34% | 11% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — New South Wales — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | New South Wales | 21 | 305d | 4% | 19% |
| Open a long day care centre — New South Wales — A purpose-built long day care centre of about 100 places on a site in a residential or mixed-use zone | New South Wales | 16 | 1000d | 10% | 12% |
| Household affected by a declared disaster obtains assistance and rebuilds — A household whose home is damaged or destroyed in a flood or bushfire, in an area activated under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements | New South Wales | 9 | 751d | 0% | 11% |
| Get a car driver licence — New South Wales — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | New South Wales | 10 | 1513d | 3% | 100% |
| Build a single house — NSW, complying development certificate — Single detached dwelling on an existing lot | New South Wales | 7 | 79d | 6% | 29% |
| Build a single house — NSW, merit-assessed development application — Single detached dwelling on an existing lot | New South Wales | 14 | 140d | 18% | 14% |
| Household receives energy bill relief and concession rebates — New South Wales — A concession card holding household, compared across direct retail billing and embedded network billing | New South Wales | 9 | 113d | 36% | 22% |
| Person leaving family violence obtains protection, income and housing — A person leaving an intimate partner relationship because of violence, seeking a protection order and the financial and housing support attached to it | New South Wales | 8 | 180d | 17% | 38% |
| Deliver a new public hospital — New South Wales — Major hospital redevelopment, capital value above the state's high-risk assurance threshold | New South Wales | 11 | 2975d | 11% | 9% |
| Person with a legal problem seeks assistance — A person on a low income with a civil or family law problem, seeking legal help | New South Wales | 8 | 130d | 0% | 12% |
| Person released from prison re-establishes income, identity, health care and housing — A person leaving custody after a sentence of more than fourteen days, without stable housing to return to | New South Wales | 10 | 135d | 22% | 30% |
| Adult concession card holder seeks public dental care — A concession card holding adult seeking general public dental treatment | New South Wales | 6 | 665d | 83% | 17% |
| Household applies for social housing and is allocated a home — A household applying for social housing through the NSW Housing Register as a general applicant | New South Wales | 9 | 612d | 77% | 11% |
| A social housing tenant reports a repair — A tenant in public housing reporting a maintenance fault, from the call to the repair | New South Wales | 9 | 63d | 92% | 44% |
| Build a block of townhouses — New South Wales — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | New South Wales | 16 | 480d | 38% | 6% |
| A water entitlement is traded — A permanent transfer of a water access entitlement, including across a state border | New South Wales | 6 | 96d | 0% | 17% |
| Child refused police bail is held, brought to court, and released on bail — A young person aged 10 to 17 charged with an offence and refused bail by police | New South Wales | 9 | 5d | 100% | 33% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — Northern Territory — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | Northern Territory | 18 | 846d | 35% | 6% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — Northern Territory — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | Northern Territory | 21 | 295d | 4% | 14% |
| Get a car driver licence — Northern Territory — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | Northern Territory | 8 | 937d | 2% | 88% |
| A house is built in a remote Northern Territory community — One dwelling under the $4 billion Commonwealth-Northern Territory remote housing agreement | Northern Territory | 9 | 1245d | 0% | 22% |
| Build a block of townhouses — Northern Territory — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | Northern Territory | 16 | 484d | 37% | 6% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — Queensland — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | Queensland | 18 | 867d | 34% | 6% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — Queensland — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | Queensland | 21 | 302d | 4% | 19% |
| Get a car driver licence — Queensland — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | Queensland | 11 | 1502d | 3% | 91% |
| Build a single house — Brisbane, accepted development plus building approval — Single detached dwelling on an existing lot | Brisbane City Council | 6 | 68d | 7% | 0% |
| Build a block of townhouses — Queensland — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | Queensland | 16 | 498d | 36% | 6% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — South Australia — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | South Australia | 18 | 811d | 35% | 11% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — South Australia — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | South Australia | 21 | 288d | 4% | 24% |
| Get a car driver licence — South Australia — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | South Australia | 9 | 1492d | 2% | 89% |
| Build a block of townhouses — South Australia — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | South Australia | 16 | 463d | 38% | 12% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — Tasmania — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | Tasmania | 18 | 846d | 35% | 6% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — Tasmania — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | Tasmania | 21 | 295d | 4% | 14% |
| Get a car driver licence — Tasmania — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | Tasmania | 12 | 1128d | 2% | 92% |
| Build a block of townhouses — Tasmania — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | Tasmania | 16 | 484d | 37% | 6% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — Victoria — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | Victoria | 18 | 900d | 33% | 6% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — Victoria — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | Victoria | 21 | 328d | 4% | 19% |
| Get a car driver licence — Victoria — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | Victoria | 10 | 1857d | 2% | 90% |
| Build a block of townhouses — Victoria — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | Victoria | 16 | 520d | 35% | 6% |
| Build a major transmission line — concurrent easement pathway (Victoria) — A multi-hundred-kilometre high voltage transmission line designated actionable in the Integrated System Plan, crossing private agricultural land | Victoria | 10 | 2955d | 0% | 10% |
| Build a multi storey apartment building — Western Australia — Class 2 residential apartment building, multi storey, site already held | Western Australia | 18 | 900d | 33% | 6% |
| Buy land and build a single storey house — Western Australia — Vacant residential lot, one single storey detached dwelling | Western Australia | 21 | 313d | 4% | 14% |
| Get a car driver licence — Western Australia — Class C (car) licence, applicant under 25, no prior licence | Western Australia | 10 | 944d | 3% | 90% |
| Build a block of townhouses — Western Australia — Multi-dwelling housing, roughly 5 to 20 dwellings, site already held | Western Australia | 16 | 520d | 35% | 6% |
The database is only as good as the people who have actually done this
If you are a planner, a certifier, a council officer, a builder, a publican, a GP opening a practice -- you know where the weeks go, and that knowledge is currently locked in your head. Here is how to add it.