Planning Reform Action Plan Welcomed
Property Council has today welcomed the announcement from the NSW Government on the new $83 million NSW Planning Reform Action Plan, which will further help to speed up the NSW planning system, create jobs and support the economic recovery of NSW.
“Today’s announcement is another significant milestone in the Premier’s quest to take the NSW planning system from the bottom to the top,” Property Council’s NSW Executive Director, Jane Fitzgerald said today.
“It builds on the initiatives put in place since November last year to fix the planning system and get construction going to support jobs and good growth in NSW.
“The Property Council has been working hard with our members and the NSW Government to put forward key recommendations to improve planning processes, which are more efficient and streamlined to help the NSW economy recover.
“We know that the property industry is key to supporting our economic recovery and will keep people in jobs, which is our number one priority. A stronger, more solid pipeline of future work has never been needed more than at this time and we commend the NSW Government on taking the leadership to tackle the necessary reforms to improve the planning system.”
The NSW Planning Reform Action Plan will include:
• Implementation of 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
• Complying development reforms to support emerging industries and fast track government projects, and
• Boost the role and resourcing of the Land and Environment Court.
The cumulative impacts of the reforms will be:
• Rezoning decisions cut by 191 days (33% time savings)
• Decisions on Development Applications for larger, regionally significant projects cut by 91 days (25% time savings)
• Decisions on major projects of significance to the State cut by 20 days (17% time savings).
For more information on the Planning Reform Action Plan visit the website here.
Media contact: Michelle Guido | M 0437 315 198 | E [email protected]