Planning Reform Update

As Australia grapples with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the planning system in NSW continues to be reformed and optimised as a powerful tool to maintain and produce jobs, and keep the economy moving.
 
This week, the next phase of planning reform was launched under an $83 million NSW Planning Reform Action Plan. It is designed to “help turbo-charge the economic recovery” of the state.

Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said that in the past 10 weeks, projects worth more than $1 billion a week have been approved, creating 30,000 jobs, 2 million sqm of open space and more than 8,000 new homes.
 
“This plan will cut unnecessary duplication of processes and boost resources in our assessment team, so that we can keep as many people in jobs and keep our State moving both now and in the months and years ahead”.
 

What's changing?

The Planning Reform Action Plan reduces project approval time, and continues to create a more timely, certain and transparent planning system. It will unlock the following:

 The Planning Reform Action Plan also includes:

  • Implementing the next phase of the ePlanning Program to make it easier to interact with the planning system; 

  • A reduction in applications requiring agency concurrences and referrals, and new benchmark timeframes on key assessment and planning functions. This will be driven by the Planning Delivery Unit and help increase investor confidence in the planning system; 

  • Complying development reforms to support emerging industries and fast track government projects; and

  • Boost the role and resourcing of the Land and Environment Court by establishing a new class of appeals for rezonings to help unblock the planning system and appoint an additional two commissioners to enable more cases to be heard each year.

NSW's COVID-19 Recovery Plan

The Planning Reform Action Plan supports the NSW’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan that was announced this week. It details the Government’s strategy for resilient, self-sufficient and future-proof economic rebuild following a significantly turbulent start to the decade.
 
Included is a guaranteed $100 billion infrastructure pipeline over the next four years, as well as changes to the following sectors:

  • Planning and precincts (“growing world-leading industries”)

  • Education and skills (“equipping our students for the jobs of the future”)

  • Digitisation (“accelerating recovery”)

  • Advanced manufacturing and local supply chains (“building a self-sufficient economy”)

  • Federal-state relations (“the time is now for national reform”) 

Many of our property client have ongoing and potential projects that offer significant opportunities for NSW’s and Australia’s economies. For more information on these updates, contact Antony Anisse, Special Counsel – Property, Infrastructure & Environment, at PremierState.

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