The Queensland government has developed an online dashboard for local government planning, saying it will keep planning transparent and on track in a socially-distant post COVID world.

It comes after NSW announced in March that e-planning would become mandatory for all councils in the state from July 2021.

Queensland’s dashboard will provide the latest information about local government plan-making under the Queensland Planning Act.

Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick says the system represents a small but important change to the way the state engages with planning, and will aid its path towards recovery from COVID-19.

“We want to put more planning information in the hands of Queenslanders, and to do that in the age of social distancing we have to take advantage of digital platforms,” he said in a statement.

“This plan-making dashboard will give communities a greater understanding of what planning changes are being considered or progressed at a local level.

“It will also keep industry and small business informed about the developments bringing new infrastructure and new jobs, both so crucial to our COVID economic fightback.”

Mr Dick said being agile in planning guidance and governance is essential to meeting the challenges of the pandemic.

“We’ve already introduced a variety of planning amendments to help Queenslanders during the COVID crisis, making it easier for businesses to operate, adapt and employ, and for consultation on developments to continue,” he said.

“We’ve also collected public feedback on a range of red tape reduction measures that will streamline planning processes and approvals.”

e-Planning became mandatory in NSW for the first tranche of 42 councils in Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Illawarra in June.

From July 2021, all councils in the state will have to accept and process development applications via the NSW Planning Portal.