It is time to restore balance, integrity and legitimacy into the NSW planning process. Time and time again, the process is shown to favour financial outcomes for private development, to close out meaningful community participation in decision making, and to use environmental assessments with discretion.
Our planning laws are demonstrably failing the community on the largest public infrastructure projects with the greatest impacts. An improved regime for assessing major public infrastructure, with early engagement and input from local communities, will improve decision‐making processes and local community acceptance of proposals.
PLANNING SYSTEM REVIEW
The NSW Government has appointed an independent planning system review panel to undertake a review of the NSW planning system. On 6 December 2011, following two months of public consultation, the independent panel released an Issues Paper, entitled ‘The Way Ahead for Planning in NSW?’
Download a copy of the Issues Paper and make a submission on the Planning System Review website: www.planningreview.nsw.gov.au.
Submissions will be accepted until midnight, Friday 2nd March 2012.
Key issues for the environment and an outline of the issues paper can be found in a SUBMISSION GUIDE (available for download through the link below) prepared by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the Environmental Defender’s Office NSW and the Total Environment Centre.
For more information, please contact:
Cerin Loane, Planning Policy Officer
Phone: 9516 1488
Email: cloane@nccnsw.org.au
NSW Planning Review - Sydney Consultation Meeting
NCC member group Sweetwater Action Group has successfully had NSW's largest housing development for 7500 dwellings overturned a second time by the Land and Environment Court.
The Nature Conservation Council, Total Environment Centre and National Parks Association have condemned proposals by the NSW governnment that could allow developers to destroy populations of threatened species under the state's controversial biocertification scheme.
