By Chris Johnson, Urban Taskforce CEO
A presumption for growth heads our list as a key driver of the states planning system.
The UK government has taken a similar approach in its draft National Planning Framework by focussing on a presumption for development and for growth.
Essentially a planning system is about looking ahead and planning for the future and in Australia that means growth”. “It is important that the planning system lifts the NSW economy by encouraging development.
Our 10 ideas are all about a simpler system with the roles of the various stakeholders clearly understood.
Communities need to get very involved at the front end of the planning system when LEPs are defining the height and bulk of future development.
If projects comply with the rules agreed by the community then projects should not go back to them, but be considered as ‘code assessable.
Queensland uses code assessable for 80 per cent of its development applications and has average approval times down to half of the NSW approval times.
The Taskforce is advocating the use of code assessable for all apartment buildings covered by SEPP 65.
Another of the 10 ideas to improve the state’s planning system is to build on the Joint Regional Planning Panels success. It is clear that the JRPPs can save up to 100 days of assessment time and we believe that more projects need to be assessed this way.
The Taskforce proposes that all apartments of three storeys and above and all projects above $5 million should be assessed by the JRPPs. This leaves 99 per cent of DAs with councils.
This will mean that the panels will need to develop their own staff partly seconded from councils.
The establishment of a more regional focussed planning team across a number of councils can lead to a better pooling of resources.
Other ideas for a better planning system include ensuring state leadership across the whole system.
The Taskforce is concerned about too much delegation to local communities without the responsibilities entailed in managing the national and state agendas for growth.
Our cities have only grown through strong leadership and this won’t occur if risk adverse local communities advocate against any change.
The use of zoning as a planning tool must become less prescriptive and encourage more mixed use.
The role of industry and employment generally is changing fast through new technologies and the market place needs the opportunity to develop compatible uses that combine work, retail and residential.
In the Urban Taskforce submission to the government a number of successful examples of planning systems from around the world have been referred to.
Among these is the Planning Portal in the United Kingdom which is a user friendly online system where anyone can access the planning system and get information about individual sites.
Another system the Taskforce suggests is investigated in detail in the Corenet system of online submissions in Singapore.
The NSW review must research the best ideas from around the world and to help with this we have included links to 10 examples of new ways of organising a planning system.
One of the other ideas presented to the government is that a new planning system must reduce litigation.
The more consistency and clarity in the planning system the less disputes there will be.
The use of code assessable and complying systems for more projects means there is less confusion about the intent of the planning system.
The 10 ideas for a better planning system and the 10 ideas from around the world are included in an online flyer available on the Urban Taskforce website.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australia’s most prominent property developers and equity financiers.
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