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Media Release - Department of Planning Sydney: 23 July 2008 KEY PLANNING REFORMS MOVE FORWARD
State Plan Priority P3: Cutting red tape
The processing of development applications (DAs) will be further streamlined and councils given greater decision-making autonomy as a result of a proposed new planning policy being placed on exhibition today.
The Department has released an exposure draft of the Concurrences and Referrals State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP).
The release is part of the NSW Government’s planning reforms to create a more efficient and transparent planning system, including for small-scale DAs.
Department Director-General Sam Haddad said the draft policy proposes to remove more than 1,300 provisions from 237 planning instruments that unnecessarily require comment or a decision from a government agency.
Mr Haddad said the SEPP was designed to streamline local planning without compromising good environmental or planning outcomes.
“In many cases we already have in place comprehensive guidelines or other assessment mechanisms which ensure important issues receive appropriate scrutiny and mean these referral clauses are unnecessary,” Mr Haddad said.
“As well, many environmental planning instruments unnecessarily state that applications should be referred to State agencies, when this is already required under existing law.
“The aim of this draft SEPP is to strip-out duplications and strengthen the decision making powers of local councils, allowing them to do their work in an efficient and effective manner.”
By removing the need for consent authorities to obtain concurrence or referrals, in many circumstances, the assessment process for DAs will also be streamlined, allowing members of the public to receive a faster decision.
Mr Haddad said the new ‘gateway’ process for the making of new plans, as part of the government’s reforms, would also help to resolve contentious issues before the lodgement of specific development proposals.
The NSW Government is also proposing to reduce processing times for applications which will continue to require the concurrence or comment from State agencies.
As previously announced, it is also proposed to change the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation to cut the time taken by State agencies to comment on development applications to just 21 days.
If the response or concurrence is not received in time, the council will be able to continue without agency advice.
The exposure draft of the proposed SEPP is being exhibited for public comment from 23 July to 22 August 2008. It will be available at www.planning.nsw.gov.au or at the Department’s information centre at 23-33 Bridge St, Sydney, during ordinary office hours.
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