The 2010-11 planning report card published by the state government yesterday showed the average waiting time for development approvals from councils was 68 days, up from 67 days the previous year.

In Sydney, Leichhardt council had the highest average number of waiting days (115), followed by Mosman (114) and Botany Bay (111).

Elsewhere in NSW, Boorowa council in the south-west of the state was the worst performer with an average processing time of 136 days.

Projects valued from $5-100 million took an average of 231 days to be valued, while state agency referral times slowed from 43 to 47 days.

The increased delays occurred despite the overall number of development proposals falling by 2745.

The Property Council of Australia said the data showed the state needed to reboot its planning system.

''Councils lack accountability and act as a handbrake on projects that can deliver the investment, housing and jobs NSW desperately needs,'' property council executive director Glenn Byres said.

''The state's planning system remains stuck in the mud.''

Although the systemic failures were well documented, no action was being taken to hold non-performers to account, he added.

''A new regime is needed that ends the 'no' culture infecting the system, radically reduces red tape and builds in strict performance standards that will be enforced,'' Mr Byres said.

Planning Minister Brad Hazzard said the report highlighted the need for a ''compete rewrite of the state's planning system''.

He blamed the delays on the previous Labor government, saying its piecemeal reforms had not worked. ''The planning system needs a complete overhaul,'' Mr Hazzard said.

NSW Greens spokesman John Kaye said the figures showed government, not local councils, were dragging their heels on development assessment times.

''In the last two years councils have had to cope with rafts of new planning laws and constant changes in state regulation, yet they have kept their turnaround times steady,'' Mr Kaye said.

-AAP.