Disability access: 70% of vetted planning applications fail standards
Some 70 per cent of all planning applications sent to the Commission for Rights of Persons with a Disability (CRPD) for vetting did not meet the necessary accessibility standards, Commissioner Samantha Pace Gasan said in a press conference on Wednesday.
Pace Gasan was presenting the CRPD’s annual report, which highlighted the work undertaken by the commission throughout the past year.
Just 15% of applications approved
Of the 4,030 applications send to the authority for accessibility vetting, 2,819 were not approved while a further 600 did not fall under the parameters under which the Commission carries out vetting.
Only 611 planning applications were approved by the CRPD - the equivalent of 15 per cent.
Noting that standards for accessibility in the built environment had been around for some 20 years, Pace Gasan urged stakeholders in the construction industry to be mindful of these standards and make an effort to incorporate them in the design phase of planned projects.
The commission carried out 307 building site inspections to ensure conformity and 117 inspections investigating accessibility claims last year.
Exempt cases due to reasonable grounds
Around 90 cases of...