Community participation plans

We want to make it easier for all members of the community to participate in planning decisions. This results in better outcomes.

Planning authorities, including councils and NSW agencies with key planning approval functions, must have a community participation plan. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 requires this.

Community participation plans set out how the planning authority will engage the public in their decision-making. These principles set the standard.

Community participation plans must meet the minimum requirements for community participation set out in Schedule 1 of the Act, but planning authorities may choose to do more.

The Act also requires planning decision-makers to publicise the reasons for their decisions on key matters and show how they considered community views.

Councils may build their community participation plans into the broader community engagement strategies they prepare under local government legislation.

Read our community participation plan (PDF, 1.9 MB) and some of our community engagement case studies.

Proposed changes to the community participation plan

We’re proposing to change the minimum public exhibition period for relevant residential state significant development (SSD) applications to 14 days. This update aligns with recent changes to the Act.

Community feedback remains a key part of the planning process. These proposed changes will preserve meaningful opportunities for public input on relevant residential SSD applications, while also helping to accelerate the delivery of much-needed housing.

The proposed changes are on exhibition until 11:59 pm, Thursday 17 July 2025.

For more information, and to have your say, visit the NSW Planning Portal.

Have your say

Planning authorities must make the reasons for their planning decisions publicly available. Stakeholders can see how their input, and that of others, was considered. This makes the process more transparent and increases community confidence.

The statement of reasons must be meaningful, reflecting the complexity of the proposed development and setting out how decision-makers considered community views.

Our guidelines for local councils and other consent authorities (PDF, 324 KB) explain the best way to publicise decisions.