The Productivity Commission completed a Business Benchmarking Study into the Role of Local Government as a Regulator in 2012. An Issues Paper was released in September 2011 setting out key focus areas for the study. Development assessment, building & construction and environmental assessment were all identified as issues to be investigated. The Commission released its Final Report in July 2012.

The report highlights a number of leading practices in local government management but stops short of making recommendations due to its nature as a benchmarking study. In particular Chapter 11 of the report focuses on planning and development assessment and supports the work of DAF and the Leading Practice Model.