Approvals Fast Track Taskforce

The Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce’s final report, Saying ‘Yes’ to Business, was released in July 2025.

The report contains 70 recommended actions to simplify approval processes, reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers and make it easier to invest and do business in the Territory.

The Taskforce's final report provides a roadmap for applying a risk-based approach to regulation and fostering a regulatory culture that promotes business activity and certainty.

The reform framework is built around 6 themes:

• modernising compliance requirements
• reducing unnecessary regulatory touchpoints
• enabling greater delegation and discretion
• increasing regulatory certainty
• driving system-wide improvements
• delivering effective regulatory stewardship.

These reforms particularly support small businesses in sectors such as construction, agriculture, transport and hospitality.

View the:

Saying 'Yes' to Business main report PDF (769.4 KB)

Saying  'Yes' to Business supplementary report PDF (1.1 MB)

Government response

The Northern Territory Government (NTG) welcomed the final report of the Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce.

The report supports economic reform and a stronger focus on practical action, regulatory certainty and making the Territory the best place to do business.

The reforms support the Government's ambition to reduce approval timeframes by 50%, while maintaining appropriate safeguards for higher-risk activities.

The reforms complement significant regulatory reforms already delivered, including:

• appointing a Territory Coordinator to identify key projects and fast-track statutory decisions
• removing third-party merits review for planning, water and petroleum regulation, while maintaining community input and reducing costly delays.

Saying 'Yes' to Business - our commitments

Of the 70 recommended actions:

• 2 were completed before the government response was released
• 48 were fast-tracked for delivery within the first 12 months (Tranche 1)
• 12 are medium-term reforms to be progressed over 2 to 3 years (Tranche 2)
• 8 require longer-term cultural and system reform (Tranche 3).

12-month milestone - July 2026

Practical results for business

The first wave of reforms is delivering faster assessments, fewer unnecessary renewal processes, clearer guidance and a stronger focus on dealing with low-risk activities quickly.

• Traffic and road activities - digital and risk-based processes have reduced assessment timeframes from around 12 days to less than 4 days.
• Liquor licensing - changes to low-risk applications can reduce processing times by up to 33 days.
• Planning - changes are saving around 14 business days for low-risk applications where consultation has already occurred.
• Resources - a risk-based approach to mineral exploration and extractive operations has reduced assessment timeframes by 20 to 30 business days.
• Licences and renewals - at least 5 licence types have had renewal periods extended, reducing repeat interactions with government for hundreds of operators.
• Water licensing - more than 650 licence holders, including mines, petroleum operators and tourism businesses such as caravan parks, are benefiting from increased flexibility through reduced minimum extraction requirements.

For Territory businesses, this means less time waiting on approvals, greater certainty to invest and more time focused on growing their business and creating jobs.

The reforms are particularly important for small business. Sole traders, micro-businesses and small businesses make up 96% of all registered businesses in the Territory.

Examples of regulatory reform commitments

Actions delivered

• Allowing the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, rather than the Development Consent Authority, to determine eligible native vegetation clearing applications for horticultural and agricultural use
• Creating a pre-approved list of place names to streamline residential development, including names used for the Holtze land release.

Tranche 1: first 12-month reforms

All 48 Tranche 1 actions will have been delivered by 16 July 2026.

The reforms include:

• introducing simpler, more risk-based processes for traffic and road activities, planning, land clearing, liquor licensing and resource approvals
• extending renewal periods for a range of licences and registrations, reducing repeat interactions with government
• simplifying water licensing and improving guidance, application and transfer processes
• enabling electronic payment of government invoices through NTG Pay
• establishing an annual Business Council meeting focused on regulatory issues across government.

Next phase: Tranches 2 and 3

The next phase will move from fast-track fixes to deeper whole-of-government system and culture reform.

Work will continue on:

• further local government approval reform
• digitising remaining small business forms
• independent audits to prevent regulatory creep and ensure compliance remains fit for purpose
• outcome-based agency performance measures focused on facilitation as well as compliance
• consistent approval timeframe data, baseline measures and reporting across government
• ongoing engagement with industry to test whether reforms are reducing real-world regulatory burden.

The Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet will continue to monitor implementation with agencies, while the Department of Treasury and Finance progresses work on consistent approval timeframe data and reporting.

Accepted in principle

An action accepted in principle means the government supported the intent of the recommendation but would deliver the intended outcome through a different approach.

This applies to recommended actions 1B, 2G, 5A, 6C, 10A, 13, 19, 20, 22C and 22E, including:

• considering alternative Fidelity Fund reforms that improve outcomes for consumers and builders while maintaining consumer protections
• introducing reforms for older vacant commercial and industrial buildings while retaining appropriate safety and energy-efficiency requirements
• updating board and committee guidance so practical Northern Territory industry experience and technical expertise are considered when appointments are made
• reviewing alternative ways to strengthen communication between water licence holders, the department and the Water Controller.

Background

The Approvals Fast-Track Taskforce was appointed by Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro in November 2024 to provide industry-led advice on streamlining approvals and removing unnecessary and burdensome regulations.

The Taskforce was made up of industry experts from across the Territory and engaged with businesses, industry bodies, government departments and regulators to identify reforms that would benefit the greatest number of businesses.

The Taskforce was chaired by Mr Mark Garraway, former Property Council of Australia NT president.