Risk Insight

NSW Government’s Investment Delivery Authority EOI Criteria Released – Are You Ready?

By Ben Rooke

24 September 2025

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    Summary

    • Competition among States to attract private capital and unlock investment has intensified, with the NSW Government’s Investment Delivery Authority (IDA) last week releasing its Expression of Interest (EOI) criteria ahead of the first round of applications.
    • Originally announced as part of the 2025-26 State Budget, the Investment Delivery Authority is modelled on the successful Housing Delivery Authority and will accelerate approvals for eligible domestic and international projects.
    • The first round of EOI's will call for projects related to data centres and technology, renewable energy, energy security and hotels. If you’re a business or investor interested in major projects in these areas, now’s the time to prepare with the first round opening soon.

    What you need to know

    The new IDA:

    • Includes Secretaries of the Premier’s Department, Treasury, and Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and the Chief Executive of Infrastructure NSW.
    • Is supported by a multi-agency Investment Taskforce, in Investment NSW under the Premier’s Department.
    • Makes recommendations to the Treasurer, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and the Minister for Industry and Trade.

    Its key objectives are to:

    • Remove barriers to major private investment projects that are not primarily residential and that make a significant contribution to the NSW economy.
    • Support projects that are commercially feasible, require value-adding interventions and can be assessed quickly.

    Our take on the update

    The new Investment Delivery Authority has all the right ingredients to successfully unlock new investment into NSW. Combined with recently announced planning system reforms, the initiative is another step towards making NSW even more attractive as a destination for global investors.

    Our key insights are set out below.

    Time is money – enabling faster approvals and reduced delays

    By providing applicants with a dedicated taskforce and senior executive oversight, the IDA seeks to unblock administrative delays and hurdles that can lead to increased holding costs, extended project timelines, and lost opportunities. As a result, investors benefit from a faster path to realising returns on their investment, making NSW a more appealing location for new projects.

    While the IDA cannot bypass statutory approvals it has the authority to fast track and unblock approvals processes. Importantly, the IDA will receive insights into common causes of delay which could result in further initiatives to enable investment.

    Senior executive visibility

    The IDA is designed to ensure critical investment decisions and approvals are made with direct input from the most senior levels of government.

    Representation from every key Secretary involved in areas of major project delivery and policy in NSW provides the necessary platform for accelerated decision-making and process across the project lifecycle.

    Oversight by key ministers, the Treasurer, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and the Minister for Industry and Trade, ensures the IDA also has relevant Cabinet-level sponsorship and eligible projects are prioritised.

    Unlocking renewables and data centre investment

    Importantly, the first round of EOIs includes a call for renewable energy and energy security, as well as technology and data centre projects.

    A minimum development cost threshold of AUD$1 billion (excluding land and GST or selling costs) for these projects underscores Government’s intent to attract and accelerate the most significant and impactful projects through the process. This should not come as a surprise, with 25 of the highest value projects in the NSW planning system comprising 21 renewable energy initiatives and 4 data centres.

    Taking planning bottlenecks out of the equation ensures these high priority projects will face smoother pathways through government aspects of the development process. We also anticipate the process will provide insights into other bottlenecks or opportunities to enable investment such as addressing increasing and ongoing pressure on essential utilities connections for data centre projects.

    Attracting hotel investment

    Hotel projects are specifically called out as subject to a lower AUD$200 million investment threshold (excluding land and GST or selling costs). Notwithstanding other headwinds for development in NSW, a lower sector-specific threshold and a fast-tracked pathway for hotels ensures NSW is attractive to international capital seeking to invest in NSW hotel projects when comparing to other markets.

    With the Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 setting an ambitious target of delivering 40,400 new hotel rooms by 2035 the inclusion of hotels in the first round of EOIs will be an important channel for unlocking new supply.

    Is your project eligible?

    The IDA’s mandate is to identify and support transformative projects that can deliver significant economic and social benefits to the state. Criteria for the new Investment Delivery Authority, aligned to its objectives, are set out below.

    By submitting an EOI, applicants provide the government with the opportunity to assess the project’s potential and determine how it might contribute to its policy objectives. If unsure about whether your project meets the IDA's criteria, we would encourage you to submit an application.

    Remove barriers to major private investment projects that are not primarily residential and that make a significant contribution to the NSW economy.

    Strategic alignment

    Project aligns with government strategic priorities and policies, including but not limited to the NSW Industry Policy and Trade & Investment Strategy.

    Development is of state significance

    Project is or could reasonably be expected to become a state significant development (SSD), state significant infrastructure (SSI) or critical state significant infrastructure (CSSI).

    Not primarily residential

    Project is not primarily a residential development (i.e., overarching purpose of the investment is non-residential).

    Estimated Development Cost

    Project has an Estimated Development Cost (EDC) of $1 billion or more ($200 million for hotels).


    Support projects that are commercially feasible, require value-adding interventions and can be assessed quickly.

    NSW Government can have a meaningful role in resolving barriers

    Proposal will be required to include a clear description of:

    • the type(s) of government support sought which can provide a meaningful intervention to clear project barriers
    • how the proponent would work with the government to resolve barriers to delivery.

    Project is not reliant on government funding to progress

    The proponent is not reliant on government funding (except where already secured) to progress.

    This includes financial support such as public private partnership, co-investment, co-funding, land donation, grant, concessional financing, tax concessions or any other form of explicit or implicit subsidy.

    Positive commitment to commence

    Demonstrated capability to lodge development application quickly.

    Demonstrated capability to commence development quickly – within 12 months of approval.

    Land tenure is secure and has no significant constraints

    Demonstrated commitments of land ownership or option to purchase land, or other form of long-term land tenure arrangements.

    Land does not have significant constraints identified that would inhibit the project proceeding for example high biodiversity value, high flood/bushfire/coastal hazard risk, major unresolved Aboriginal Land Claims.

    Has addressed any previously withdrawn or refused proposal

    Proponent positively addresses any reasons for refusal or withdrawn development is based on a previously withdrawn or refused application.

    Experience in delivering similar projects in scope and scale

    The proponent and its team have the experience, capability and capacity to complete the project.

    Our team of experts in major infrastructure, state significant planning and complex commercial transactions, with deep government expertise, is ready to help you navigate the EOI process and optimise your submission. Get in touch to position your project for success.

    Other authors: Stephen Bomba, Executive and Lakshmi Logathassan, Executive.

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