Strategic planning for natural hazards in NSW

The NSW Government is committed to building sustainable and hazard-resilient communities through smart land use planning.

The department has developed a draft statewide Natural Hazards package that encourages councils to consider natural hazard risk in strategic land use planning.

Together with building regulation and emergency management, smart planning can increase community wellbeing and build our resilience to natural hazards.

Proposed Natural Hazards package

The Natural Hazards package includes:

• A draft Strategic Guide to Planning for Natural Hazards in NSW, which highlights the importance of considering natural hazards to reduce the impact they have on communities;
• A toolkit of resources to support strategic planning process and help plan-making authorities find the information and data they need.

Draft Strategic Guide

The guide is intended to inform the preparation of regional, district and local strategic plans, planning proposals and other strategic planning activities, and:

• Sets out eight guiding principles to inform land use planning decisions and manage natural hazard risk;
• Identifies the natural hazards relevant to NSW that should be considered in strategic planning activities;
• Explains key concepts related to natural hazard risk management;
• Discusses at a high level, the connection to existing policies, acts, regulations, guidelines and responsibilities.

The guide is supported by a toolkit of resources to help plan-making authorities find relevant natural hazard data, risk management information, other guidance, case studies, standards and tools.

View the draft Guide

Have your say

We welcome your feedback on the Natural Hazards package from 28 April 2021 until 8 June 2021.

Please submit your feedback using the online submission form on our Planning Portal.

Make a submission

Alternatively, if you cannot lodge your submission online, you may post a written submission to:

Attention: Director, Environment Policy
NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Locked Bag 5022, Parramatta NSW 2124

More information

If you have any questions about this project, please email the team.