Planning reforms | Planning

The NSW Government is delivering reforms to improve assessment time frames, reduce red tape, eliminate double-handling and fast-track projects that deliver great public benefits, create jobs and keep the economy moving.

Rukshan de Silva - Peaceful Rest. Credit: NSW Department of Planning and Environment

Cemeteries as State Significant Development

Large cemetery projects have become state-significant development to make their assessment clearer and more consistent.

Concurrence and referral reforms

We are reducing the number of applications that need concurrences and referrals and improving system efficiency to deliver faster decisions.

A female building certifier inspects scaffolding on a building site. Credit: NSW Department of Planning and Environment / Christopher Walters

Complying development reforms

Reforms to complying development, focused on employment areas, offer a fast-tracked approval pathway for straight forward developments.

Artist's impression of industrial business area.

Employment land strategies

Employment land strategies summarise the economic settings, barriers to growth and opportunities associated with employment land in specific local government areas.

Cafes and restaurants lining the Five Ways, Paddington. Credit: Destination NSW

Employment zones reform

We have delivered a simplified employment zone framework to support job creation and increased productivity.

Children enjoying The Ian Potter Children's Wild Play Garden in Centennial Park. Credit: Destination NSW

NSW Public Open Spaces Legacy Program

The NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program is a $250 million investment in high quality public open space, by incentivising accelerated development assessment speeds and creating long lasting community benefit.

Apartment construction in in Wollongong NSW. Credit: NSW Department of Planning and Environment / Don Fuchs

Planning Delivery Unit

We work with proponents, councils and NSW Government agencies to resolve issues so that decisions can be made more promptly.

Carter Street, Olympic Park Sydney Artist Impressions. Credit: NSW Department of Planning and Environment / TVU Productions

Planning Reform Action Plan

Find out more about how we're building a better future by reforming the planning system.

Construction site of a new building development.

Planning System Acceleration Program

We’ve brought forward immediate reforms to the planning system to support productivity, investment and jobs during COVID-19.

Freight train travelling along the inland NSW rail line.

Priority Assessment Program

The Priority Assessment Program identifies and case-manages projects with the potential to deliver a strong pipeline of investment, public benefit, growth and jobs.

Man and woman couple walk through park - Barangaroo, Sydney NSW. Credit: NSW Department of Planning and Environment

Rapid Assessment Framework

We have made changes to major project assessment to reduce timeframes, increase environmental assessment quality and deliver better outcomes.

State significant development warehouse and data centre.

State significant development warehouses and data centres

We’ve made temporary changes to include more warehouses and data centres as state-significant development to support the economy and the rapid growth in the e-commerce sector.

Three people sitting together looking at and discussing a document.

Standard conditions of consent

We have prepared a guide to writing conditions of development consent and developed new standard conditions to provide greater consistency.