Local Plan Making
The Department coordinates and regularly issues guidance to local councils throughout the State on the preparation of new local plans.
Standard instrument for LEPs
On 31 March 2006, the NSW Government gazetted the standard instrument for preparing new local environmental plans (LEPs). For the first time, local plans across NSW will use the same planning language, making it easier for communities to understand what is planned for their local area and the zoning controls. All councils will use the standard instrument to prepare a new principal LEP for their local government area, to be completed by 2011. The standard instrument was amended on 1 September 2006. A further amendment was gazetted on 14 December 2007, which takes effect from 1 January 2008.
- Standard Instrument Principal Local Environmental Plan - 1 January 2008 version [RTF]
- Instructions on the use of the RTF version of the standard instrument [PDF]
- Standard Instrument Principal Local Environmental Plan (as amended) - published on the NSW legislation website
- Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 (as amended) - published on the NSW legislation website
- Planning circular PS06-008 Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 [PDF]
- Planning circular PS06-019 Changes to the standard instrument for principal LEPs [PDF]
- Planning circular PS07-020 Standard instrument for principal LEPs amendment [PDF]
- LEP practice notes - to assist local councils in the implementation of the standard instrument for LEPs
- Benefits of the LEP template fact sheet - published February 2008 [PDF]
Ministerial directions for local plan making
The Minister for Planning, under section 117(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) may issue directions that local councils must follow when preparing new LEPs.
Latest ministerial directions
The Minister for Planning has issued a new set of local planning directions, which take effect from 19 July 2007.
- Local planning directions issued by the Minister for Planning (19 July 2007) [PDF] [RTF]
- Planning circular PS07-008 New section 117 directions [PDF]
- Revised local planning directions: overview of key changes (July 2007) - including a comparison of new and previous directions and the effect of the changes. [PDF]
Previously issued directions
Directions issued by the Minister between 30 September 2005 and 19 July 2007 will only apply to draft LEPS that have been certified for public exhibition (section 65, EP&A Act) prior to 19 July 2007. Any section 117(2) ministerial directions issued prior to 30 September 2005 no longer apply to the preparation of LEPs.
- Direction No. 31 - Development in the vicinity of Ellalong, Paxton and Millfield (Cessnock LGA) [PDF] [RTF] (published 4 April 2007)
- Direction No. 30 - Implementation of regional strategies [PDF] [RTF] (published 4 April 2007)
- Direction No. 29 - Oyster aquaculture [PDF] [RTF] (19 March 2007)
- Direction No. 15 - Flood prone land [PDF] [RTF] (31 January 2007)
- Section 117 Ministerial Directions [PDF] [RTF] (issued 30 September 2005)
- Planning circular PS07-003 New guideline and changes to section 117 direction and EP&A Regulation on flood prone land [PDF]
- Planning circular PS07-006 Implementation of regional strategies - ministerial direction [PDF]
LEP mapping requirements
The Department has provided councils with standard technical requirements for preparing local environmental plan (LEP) maps in accordance with the standard instrument. This will enable all new LEP maps to be made available online after the local plan is made. The mapping requirements specify colours, lines, symbols, map-naming protocols and electronic file creation requirements.
Standard technical requirements for LEP maps
- Complete document - but with low resolution map appendices [PDF 3.3MB]
Republished, incorporating erratum, August 2007 [PDF] - Main body of document - without appendices (August 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix A Map legends (April 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix B Map cover sheet: principal LEP (August 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix C Map cover sheet: amending LEP (August 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix D Example of map index (August 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix E Land application map (April 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix F Land zoning map (April 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix G Land reservation acquisition map (April 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix H Heritage map (April 2007) [PDF]
- Appendix I Development standards map - example: floor space ratio (April 2007) [PDF]
- Erratum (August 2007) explaining change to version 1.0 (published April 2007) [PDF]
- Planning circular PS07-007 New mapping requirements for local environmental plans [PDF]
LEP data requirements
GIS data is requested for all submissions by councils of local environmental plans LEP (at both draft and final stages) to the Department. The Department has developed a standard schema for LEP data. The objective is to create efficiencies by removing duplication in the preparation of LEP data across the State. This document specifies standard table structures as well as procedures for supplying data, file standards and naming conventions.
Standard requirements for LEP GIS data [PDF]
Planning circular PS07-012 New GIS data requirements for local environmental plans
LEP map templates
To assist councils, LEP map template files are provided below for some commonly used Geographic Information System (GIS) software.
The GIS data for the suggested map grids is available online at http://canri.nsw.gov.au/download.
LEP review panel
The Department has established an LEP Review Panel to vet at an early stage local councils' proposed LEPs.
- Planning circular PS 05-005 LEP Review Panel [PDF]
- LEP Pro-forma Evaluation Criteria [RTF]
- Instrument of delegation [PDF]
- Fact sheet: LEP review panel [PDF]
Planning reform fund
The NSW Government, through the Planning Reform Fund provides grants to help local councils with the preparation of new local plans.