PUTTING
COMMUNITIES FIRST
REAL REFORM OF THE NSW PLANNING SYSTEM
WHAT WOULD A WORLD-CLASS
PLANNING SYSTEM LOOK LIKE?
Good planning:
protects what is precious, encourages what is
good and works on a precautionary principle
when it is unsure of the impact.
engages the community at both strategic level
and on individual development applications.
is democratic and works to implement
ecologically sustainable development.
WHERE ARE WE NOW &
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
 NSW Planning system under Labor was broken with escalating
developer donations, Part 3A and community resistance.
 Coalition repealed Part 3A BUT Part 4B is almost the same.
 Independent Planning Review by
Rod Moore and Tim Dyer basically
ignored in the Green Paper
 April 2013 - White Paper.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE PROBLEMS
WITH THE PLANNING WHITE PAPER?
NSW Government delivering the
“market driven” approach to planning
the developer lobby asked for.
The main issues are:
1. State Significant Development –
Part 3A on steroids
2. Environment and Heritage –
Devalued and ignored
3. Councillors and Community –
Taken out of the planning process
4. Community Consultation –
Government promises all spin
PROBLEM 1:
STATE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT &
INFRASTRUCTURE: PART 3A ON STEROIDS:
1. Under Labor the Planning Minister had near-total control.
Under the Coalition the Minister has total control.
2. Ministerial discretion about what is State Significant
Development (SSD) or State Significant Infrastructure
(SSI)
3. Environmental, heritage and other protections lost.
4. Strategic Compatibility Certificates on any site to override
ALL local planning laws.
"The prospect of sizeable windfall gains
combined with a wide discretion creates
a corruption risk and has been
associated with many instances of
proven corruption."
The ICAC submission
to the NSW Planning Reforms)
PROBLEM 2:
ENVIRONMENT & HERITAGE: DEVALUED AND
IGNORED
1. Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD) is being
removed as one of the guiding principles of the Planning Act.
2. E3 zonings will be downgraded to a generic rural zoning,
removing most environmental protections.
3. No plans to meet challenges of climate change, such as sealevel rises and extreme weather.
4. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage decision making
moved to the Department of Planning & Infrastructure.
5. Recommendations from the Heritage Council of NSW have
been largely ignored.
PROBLEM 3:
COUNCILLORS & THE COMMUNITY: TAKEN OUT
OF THE PLANNING PROCESS
1. The majority of planning decisions will be taken away from
local councillors – for strategic and individual
developments.
2. Strategic regional planning and zoning decisions made by
government dominated Sub-Regional Planning Boards.
3. "Simplified zonings" mean reduced protections.
4. Most developments (up to 80 per cent) will be decided on
tick-a-box criteria (set by Sub-Regional Planning Boards)
by developer-funded private certifiers.
PROBLEM 4:
COMMUNITY CONSULTATION: GOVERNMENT
PROMISES ALL SPIN
1. Government promised to enshrine community consultation
at the heart of planning, White Paper does not deliver this.
2. Planning powers taken from local councils will mean
residents are locked out after regional planning.
3. Community participation requirements are threadbare – 28
days for planning policies, and infrastructure and
community participation plans.
4. NO legislative guarantees for community participation and
no enforcement provisions for Public Participation Charters.
HOW ELSE CAN IT BE DONE THEN?
SOLUTION 1:
WALKABLE, LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS FOR
THE FUTURE, NOT THE DEVELOPER
1. Addressing the challenges of climate
change, ESD and minimising
greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Sensible infill development in existing
suburbs supported by public
infrastructure, services and better
protected public open spaces.
3. Density and liveability over endless
sprawl.
4. Affordable and social housing targets to
ease the state’s housing crisis.
SOLUTION 2:
AN INDEPENDENT STATE PLANNING COMMISSION
FOR STATE SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT
1. Genuine state significant infrastructure –
transport, power, water, public housing,
hospitals, schools, etc.
2. Developments with the highest impacts
subject to the highest levels of scrutiny, public
consultation and planning controls.
3. An Independent State Planning Commission
comprised of community and professional
organisations would make decisions on state
significant development and include
representatives. It would be subject to the
approval of parliament and be truly
independent.
SOLUTION 3:
THOROUGH COUNCIL & COMMUNITY
PARTICIPATION
1. Elected councils making decisions on
local development, in consultation with
the local community, without excessive
exemptions and loopholes for
developers.
2. Long-term engagement strategies to
determine planning needs for the state
and local communities.
3. Enforceable community rights.
The City of Sydney engaged in
extensive consultation in
preparing their LEP.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
1. Connect with the local
community
2. Create local (and statewide) media opportunities
3. Lobby your local member
of parliament
4. Make a submission to the
Planning White Paper