The National Planning Ministers’ Forum has promised to maintain the “usual pace” of construction activity. How is this playing out in planning reform? We take a tour around the grounds to find out.
National
The National Planning Ministers’ Forum, convened on 20 April, agreed to planning reform to “maintain the usual pace” of construction activity.
State and territory planning ministers agreed to a set of principles that prioritise transparency, consistency and decision making in the public interest. Lessons learnt, especially around the use of technology, would be considered for “potential ongoing implementation”.
New South Wales
The NSW Government announced the first tranche of 24 fast-tracked projects on 28 April, which promises to provide nearly 9,500 jobs, $7.5 billion in investment and 4,400 new dwellings.
The criteria chosen to judge the projects include the number of jobs created, timeframe for delivery and public benefit. Planning minister Rob Stokes has emphasised this is “not a greenlighting exercise” and that “the same stringent checks, balances and community consultation that ensures transparency, public benefit and merit-based assessment of projects remain”.
The first fast-tracked project is Ivanhoe Estate, featuring 3,300 new homes – a third of which is social housing – as well as a new primary school and town plaza in Sydney’s North West. The project promises to inject $303 million into the state’s economy and provide 572 jobs.
Fast-tracking project assessments is one of the key pillars of the NSW Government’s Planning System Acceleration Program.
Victoria
Legislation passed on 23 April that permits planning documents to be submitted online and panel hearings to be available via electronic means. These measures will be in place for six months.
The Victorian Government has also established Building Victoria’s Recovery Taskforce to guide the state’s building and development industry through the coronavirus crisis.
The group, overseen by planning minister Richard Wynne and treasurer Tim Pallas, will be co-chaired by Roger Teale, a former division president of the Property Council, Jude Munro AO and Stan Krpan. The Taskforce will receive advice from three industry working groups. Cressida Wall, the Property Council’s Victorian executive director, has been appointed to the steering committee.
South Australia
Variations to development regulations were passed on 9 April to avoid undue delays in application approvals.
The variations enable a range of emergency planning powers, which includes ministerial “call-in” of development applications from councils when there are significant delays. Public meetings and inspections can be held remotely.
“We are ensuring that all businesses involved in the development application process, including drafters, planners and building surveyors, have a continued flow of work providing job security for thousands of South Australians,” minister for planning Stephan Knoll has said.
Western Australia
Changes to planning and development regulations came into effect on 3 April, giving the minister for planning authority to temporarily override requirements and conditions set out in a local planning scheme, and existing conditions in planning approvals.
This includes exemptions relating to noise or amenity restrictions that guide supermarket deliveries, waste and recycling services and construction activities, and takeaway and retail delivery services.
Subsequently, the McGowan Government has streamlined the Development Assessment Panel system, reducing the number of panels from 15 to five from 27 April. In line with the McGowan Government’s Action Plan for Planning Reform, this change is an interim step to reduce the number of panels further to a maximum of three.
Queensland
Amendments to Queensland’s planning legislation took effect on 20 March.
Under the provisions, the minister for planning can make a blanket declaration for certain uses or essential businesses to operate 24-hours.
The minister can extend or suspend statutory timeframes to provide certainty that planning decisions and development assessments will be undertaken in a timely manner.
New temporary use licence arrangements recognise that businesses may need to innovate or change how they operate in unprecedented circumstances.
Tasmania
The Covid-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 provides a number of important emergency measures relating to planning.
Chief among these are the provision of alternative arrangements for meetings, document delivery and public hearings. The Act also provides temporary relief from certain planning requirements and exemptions, such as permit conditions that allow for the delivery of essential services.
Northern Territory
Some planning approval process regulations have been temporarily suspended for works carried out through the NT Government’s Jobs Rescue and Recovery Plan.
Applicants can start construction without submitting an application where internal works, physical upgrades and improvements are partially funded by any the Rescue and Recovery schemes, or where external works are partially or completely funded by the Home Improvement Scheme provided they fully comply with the requirements of the NT Planning Scheme.
Australian Capital Territory
The Property Council’s ACT executive director Adina Cirson says the division is working closely with the ACT Government to ensure existing development applications are approved as quickly as possible.
The ACT Government has allocated extra strategic planning resources and Cirson says “turnaround rates have improved and DAs in the system are at their lowest levels since mid-last year”.