Responsible Use of AI

Effective date: 1 January 2026

ApprovalPath uses artificial intelligence to help tradies and builders assess council approval requirements for residential projects in NSW. We are committed to using AI responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with Australian standards and community expectations.

Our Commitment

We believe AI should augment professional expertise — not replace it. Our AI-powered assessments are designed to save time and provide a structured starting point, but they are not a substitute for professional planning advice or formal council determinations.

How We Use AI

Assessment Generation

When you run an assessment, our AI models analyse:

• The property address and zoning information from public NSW planning data
• Your answers to plain-English questions about the proposed project
• Relevant planning instruments, including Local Environmental Plans (LEPs), State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs), and the Exempt and Complying Development Codes

The AI then determines the most likely approval pathway (Exempt, Complying, or Full DA) and generates a structured report.

Data Sources

Our AI references publicly available planning data from:

• NSW Legislation and planning instruments
• Council Development Control Plans (DCPs)
• The NSW Planning Portal and spatial data services

We regularly update our data sources to reflect legislative changes, but there may be a delay between a regulation change and our system reflecting it.

Transparency

• Assessment reports clearly state they are AI-generated and should be verified by a qualified professional
• We disclose the data sources and planning instruments considered in each report
• We do not present AI outputs as legally binding determinations

Accuracy and Limitations

While we strive for high accuracy, our AI assessments have inherent limitations:

• Zoning edge cases: Properties near zone boundaries or with complex overlays may require manual verification
• Recent amendments: Very recent legislative changes may not yet be reflected
• Site-specific conditions: The AI cannot assess physical site conditions (e.g., flooding, contamination, heritage significance) that may affect approval requirements
• Council discretion: Development assessment often involves subjective council judgment that AI cannot fully replicate

We recommend that users always confirm AI-generated assessments with their local council or a qualified planner before making decisions.

Human Oversight

• Our team regularly reviews AI outputs for accuracy and consistency
• Users can flag incorrect or questionable assessments for manual review
• We maintain a feedback loop between user reports and model improvements

Data and Privacy

• Assessment inputs are processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy
• We do not use your personal data to train third-party AI models
• Anonymised, aggregated data may be used to improve our own assessment accuracy
• All AI processing is subject to strict data processing agreements with our model providers

Standards and Compliance

We align our AI practices with:

• The Australian Government's AI Ethics Principles (fairness, transparency, accountability, privacy, reliability, contestability)
• ISO/IEC 42001 standards for AI management systems
• The NSW Government AI Assurance Framework

Feedback and Concerns

If you have questions or concerns about how we use AI, or if you believe an assessment output is incorrect, please contact us at ai@approvalpath.com.au.

We take all feedback seriously and use it to continuously improve our systems.