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Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policies

Simplifying and improving the planning policy framework

On 2 December 2021, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes released the Minister’s Planning Principles backed by consolidated planning policies to simplify and provide certainty to the system. 

The 45 existing State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) into 11 policies that reflect the new principles. These include policies for housing, employment, primary industry, design and the environment.
 

What will the new SEPP framework look like?

The new SEPPs are based on the nine focus areas in the Minister’s Planning Principles.

 

Existing SEPPs are also being consolidated under the proposed Housing SEPP and Design and Place. 
 
 
Focus areas Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy
Focus areasHousing Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Housing SEPP
Focus areasTransport and  Infrastructure Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Transport and Infrastructure SEPP
Focus areasPrimary Production  Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Primary Production SEPP
Focus areasBiodiversity and Conservation  Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Biodiversity and Conservation SEPP
Focus areasResilience and Hazards Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Resilience and Hazards SEPP
Focus areasDesign and Place  Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Design and Place SEPP
Focus areasIndustry and Employment Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Industry and Employment SEPP 
Focus areasResources and Energy Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy Resources and Energy SEPP 
Focus areasPlanning Systems Consolidated State Environmental Planning Policy

 Planning Systems SEPP

 Codes SEPP

 Precincts SEPPs

 

 

 

No changes have been made to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 as part of this process and it will remain as a standalone SEPP.

 

What are the new consolidated SEPPs? 

The Planning systems SEPP:

  • identifies State or regionally significant development, State significant Infrastructure, and critical State significant infrastructure.
  • provides for consideration of development delivery plans by local Aboriginal land councils in planning assessment.
  • allows the Planning Secretary to elect to be the concurrence authority for certain development that requires concurrence under nominated State environmental planning policies.

Download the factsheet on Planning Systems SEPP (PDF, 138 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021.

This SEPP contains:

  • planning rules and controls for the clearing of native vegetation in NSW on land zoned for urban and environmental purposes that is not linked to a development application.
  • the land use planning and assessment framework for koala habitat.
  • provisions which establish a consistent and co-ordinated approach to environmental planning and assessment along the River Murray.
  • provisions seeking to protect and preserve bushland within public open space zones and reservations.
  • provisions which aim to prohibit canal estate development.
  • provisions to support the water quality objectives for the Sydney drinking water catchment.
  • provisions to protect the environment of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system.
  • provisions to manage and improve environmental outcomes for Sydney Harbour and its tributaries.
  • provisions to manage and promote integrated catchment management policies along the Georges River and its tributaries.
  • provisions which seek to protect, conserve and manage the World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes property.

Download the factsheet on Biodiversity and Conservation SEPP (PDF, 146 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021.

View an illustrative example of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 (PDF, 1.4 MB).

This SEPP contains planning provisions:

  • for land use planning within the coastal zone, in a manner consistent with the objects of the Coastal Management Act 2016.
  • to manage hazardous and offensive development.
  • which provides a state-wide planning framework for the remediation of contaminated land and to minimise the risk of harm.

Download the factsheet on Resilience and Hazards SEPP (PDF, 145 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021.

View an illustrative example of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021 (PDF, 447 KB).

This SEPP contains planning provisions:

  • for infrastructure in NSW, such as hospitals, roads, railways, emergency services, water supply and electricity delivery.
  • for child-care centres, schools, TAFEs and Universities.
  • planning controls and reserves land for the protection of three corridors (North South Rail Line, South West Rail Link extension and Western Sydney Freight Line).
  • the land use planning and assessment framework for appropriate development at Port Kembla, Port Botany and Port of Newcastle.

Download the factsheet on Transport and Infrastructure SEPP (PDF, 161 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021.

This SEPP contains planning provisions:

  • applying to employment land in western Sydney.
  • for advertising and signage in NSW.

Download the factsheet on Industry and Employment SEPP (PDF, 137 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021.

View an illustrative example of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021 (PDF, 627 KB).

This SEPP contains planning provisions:

  • for the assessment and development of mining, petroleum production and extractive material resource proposals in NSW.
  • which aim to facilitate the development of extractive resources in proximity to the population of the Sydney Metropolitan Area by identifying land which contains extractive material of regional significance.

Download the factsheet on Resources and Energy SEPP (PDF, 144 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021.

View an illustrative example of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021 (PDF, 585 KB).

This SEPP contains planning provisions:

  • to manage primary production and rural development including supporting sustainable agriculture.
  • for the protection of prime agricultural land of state and regional significance as well as regionally significant mining and extractive resources.

Download the factsheet on Primary Production SEPP (PDF, 137 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021.

View an illustrative example of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) Consolidation 2021 (PDF, 492 KB).

This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in the Eastern Harbour City. This city is based the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities.

Download the factsheet on Precincts SEPP (PDF, 257 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Eastern Harbour City) 2021.

This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in the Central River City. This city is based the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities.

Download the factsheet on Precincts SEPP (PDF, 257 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Central River City) 2021.

This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in the Wester Parkland City. This city is based the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities.

Download the factsheet on Precincts SEPP (PDF, 257 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Western Parkland City) 2021.

This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in Regional NSW outside the Greater Sydney Region Plan.

Download the factsheet on Precincts SEPP (PDF, 257 KB).

View the State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Regional) 2021.


When do the new consolidated SEPPs commence? 


The consolidated SEPPs will commence on 1 March 2022. The one exception is the consolidated Housing SEPP which is finalised and  commenced on 26 November 2021.
 

Page last updated: 21/12/2021