Local Planning Panels

In Greater Sydney, local planning panels determine development applications on behalf of councils where:

• there is concern that a development assessment may be compromised – such projects usually have an estimated development cost of $5 million to $30 million
• proposed projects receive a high number of complaints
• proposed projects are sensitive; for example, they involve the demolition of heritage buildings or the destruction of other community assets
• projects have strategic importance to the state.

The Planning Systems Reforms Act 2025 marks the most significant overhaul of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in a generation and will deliver a faster, fairer and modern planning system.

Under these reforms, initial changes to planning panels were introduced on 16 January 2026 and apply to council areas with an established local planning panel.

These changes will streamline the structure of planning panels and return more development to local determination, promoting a more locally based and responsive planning system where decisions are made closer to the communities they affect.

Read our ​Changes to the planning panel system in NSW (PDF, 105 KB) fact sheet for more information on these changes.

Local planning panels consist of a chair and 2 independent experts appointed by a council, plus a community representative. The independent experts come from a pool of independent, qualified people who have been endorsed by a minister.

Independent experts must have qualifications in any of these fields:

• architecture
• economics
• engineering
• government and public administration
• heritage
• law
• planning
• the environment
• tourism
• traffic and transport
• urban design.

The best place to start for most complaints about local planning panels is with your council.

The NSW Ombudsman can also deal with grievances.

The department can’t deal with complaints directly but we can direct them to an authority for response and resolution. We can also review the way your local council has handled your complaint.

If you have allegations of corrupt conduct, misconduct or serious waste of resources, contact:

• Audit Office of NSW
• Independent Commission Against Corruption
• NSW Ombudsman.

The Minister has approved the list of chairs, alternate chairs and experts, and has provided this to councils. These lists are valid for a 3-year term. The current term is from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2027.

Local planning panel expert members and chairs are appointed by councils drawing from the list approved by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces. Community representatives are recruited and appointed by councils.

An updated ministerial direction Local Planning Panels Direction (PDF, 334 KB) has been issued extending the direction to City of Sydney.

For any questions on the Local Planning Panel pool recruitment process, email the Planning Panels Team on [email protected]