Sydney planning panels

We introduced Sydney and regional planning panels in 2009 to strengthen decision-making for regionally significant development applications and other planning matters.

Regionally significant development is generally development with an estimated development cost over $30 million.

There are 5 Sydney planning panels and 4 regional planning panels across NSW. Each panel is an independent body that is not subject to the direction of the Minister for Planning.

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.

For information about the work of the Sydney and regional planning panels, visit the NSW Planning Portal. Here you can:

• search the planning panel register
• review the details of upcoming meetings
• find out more about individual Sydney and regional planning panels
• read the latest statistics based on data given to the planning panel secretariat
• access Planning circulars and advisory notes, policies and procedures, templates and forms.