Nanaimo considers changes to speed up building permits

Nanaimo city councillors are weighing new steps to improve building permit processing, including possibly hiring an additional engineer and adding more oversight tools. A recent consultant report says progress has been mixed since a major review of the permit system five years ago. It points to staffing shortages, weak accountability and outdated technology as continuing obstacles. Construction industry leaders told the committee that permit delays raise project costs through financing, redesigns and inflation, and can slow new housing starts. One councillor has proposed regular reporting, tracking dashboards and target timelines for different permit types to help the city measure delays and improve turnaround times.