Introduction
The NSW Government announced in April 2011 that it will not be accepting any new applications under the Part 3A assessment system. However, a number of applications which were already in the system at that time, or modifications to approved projects, will continue to be processed under the Part 3A system.
These projects will be assessed under the Part 3A system, before its formal repeal for new proposals on 1 October 2011.
A
planning circular has been published to explain the transitional arrangements and phasing out of the Part 3A system.
On 1 October 2011, additional historic projects (or ones where Director-General requirements had not been issued) were removed from the Part 3A.
Who determines Part 3A projects?
Non-contentious proposals which attract less than 25 objections and do not have a local council objection will be determined by senior officers of the Department.
Otherwise, the
Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) will by the determining authority, or the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure in the case of State agency projects. The Department will publish its assessment report online before the PAC makes its decision.
What Departmental policies and plans are in place for Part 3A projects?
The following policies and guidelines are still in place for Part 3A:
Interim arrangements for projects on strategic agricultural land
The department is preparing Strategic Regional Land Use Plans (SRLUPs) to balance strong economic and resource growth in regional NSW with the sustainable management of natural resources and the protection of agricultural land.
The draft SRLUPs detail the NSW Government’s proposal to apply a pre-development application gateway process to State significant mining and coal seam gas proposals that are located on or within two kilometres of areas mapped as strategic agricultural land.
The department has developed a policy that sets out the interim arrangements for mining and coal seam gas proposals on strategic agricultural land until the draft SRLUPs are finalised.
Policy statement - Interim strategic agricultural land policy for State Significant and transitional Part 3A proposals in the Upper Hunter and New England North West regions
Part 3A modifications