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Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 15 May 2008 AMENDED PLANNING REFORM BILLS SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT Landmark reforms tabled in NSW Parliament today will create an efficient and transparent planning system for the 21st Century – introducing independent decision-making and streamlining processes for working families.
Mr Sartor said the new package included a number of changes, reflecting substantial community consultation.
“This package is the culmination of an extended consultation process, involving forums, a discussion paper and Exposure Bills, as well as analysis of national trends,” Mr Sartor said.
“We listened to feedback from the community and other stakeholders, and that is reflected in more than 50 changes to the package.”
The changes include:
• Deleting a proposal allowing land to be compulsorily acquired for the purposes of urban renewal;
• Deleting a proposal allowing accredited certifiers to approve minor non-compliances;
• Clarifying that libraries and community centres, along with volunteer rescue and emergency services, are “key community infrastructure” that councils can automatically levy for;
• Retain permanent legislative protection to prevent new development in Sydney’s drinking water catchment unless it has a neutral or beneficial effect on water quality;
• Expanding the range of people who can be appointed to the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) to include those with legal, engineering, traffic and transport, and tourism backgrounds; and
• Allowing only the Department of Planning to appoint planning arbitrators.
“We have also responded to concerns from the legal profession,” Mr Sartor said.
“Applicants seeking a merit appeal of a refusal will no longer be able to choose between an independent panel, such as the PAC, or the Land and Environment Court.
“This will prevent aggrieved applicants ‘forum shopping’ for appeal bodies and reinforces the role of the Land and Environment Court in hearing such appeals.”
Mr Sartor said that key proposals flagged in the Exposure Bills were also included in the new package.
“Importantly, we are pressing ahead with plans to create an independent Planning Assessment Commission to decide most major projects currently determined by the Minister,” he said.
The reforms are vital to improving to the NSW planning system, and will create:
• A better development assessment system • A more accountable infrastructure contribution system • A tailored plan-making process • Tougher rules and penalties for accredited certifiers • Strengthened review and appeal rights
Mr Sartor said the NSW Government had undergone extensive consultation in regard to its planning reforms. These included:
• A NSW Department of Planning public forum held in August 2007 attended by 640 people with community representatives attending free of charge; • The release of a discussion paper for a ten-week public comment period in November 2007; • Eleven workshops attended by about 1,000 people across NSW. • Further public consultation on the three Exposure Bills. • Distribution of easy-to-read summary documents at each stage of the reform process.
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