NEWS - RECENT TOWN PLANNING PROJECTS BY CERTIFIED SYDNEY TOWN PLANNER CHRIS BLYTH

Recent Project Appointment:

We have had recent appointments to a variety of town planning projects over recent months including:

• Part 3A Major Project K Mart Warehouse & Distribution Centre Eastern Creek 2010;
• SEPP Seniors Living Developments at Pymble, Turramurra & Bonny Hills;
• Independent development Assessments fro North Sydney Council
• Independent Development Assessment Sans Souci Bather’s Pavilion redevelopment Kogarah Council
• Luxury waterside homes DAs Russell Lea & Drummoyne, Canada Bay Council area;
• Child Care centres at Wentworth Point (Auburn Council), Olympic Park ( Auburn Council) Carlton (Kogarah Council) and Faulconbridge (Blue Mountains City Council);
• Hotel Redevelopments at Enfield (Burwood Council) & Bexley North (Rockdale Council);
• Apartment buildings at Marrickville (Marrickville Council) & Chatswood (Willoughby Council);
• Warehouse & Distribution centres at Winston Hills and Eastern Creek;
• Taxi shift change facilities at Marrickville (Marrickville Council) and Silverwater (Auburn Council);
• Indoor sports complex at Kirrawee, Sutherland Shire Council;
• Adaptive residential re-use of warehouse at Redfern, City of Sydney;
• DA and Land & Environment Court appeal, boarding house at Marsfield, Ryde Council;
• Numerous DAs for unauthorised use/occupation and Building Certificate applications for unauthorised work;
• Additions and alterations to heritage buildings in Cremorne Point, Crow’s Nest & McMahons Point (North Sydney Council);

To contact us about your develoment or planning application click here.

Planning White Paper released

On 16th April the NSW State Government through the Premier Hon Barry O'Farrell & Planning Minister Brad Hazzard released a White Paper on NSW planning reform.

The associated press release stated amongst other things :

"Mr Hazzard said the new planning system will be based on five key elements:

- Community participation - Upfront community participation will become a legal right and will be backed up by a Community Participation Charter enshrined in law, which is an Australian first.
- Infrastructure - Delivering infrastructure alongside growth and providing a more certain and consistent way of funding infrastructure.

- Strategic planning - Better strategies, developed early in the process with the community, to guide the best places for growth and identify the areas to be protected from development.
- Cultural change - A planning system that is easy to access with timely results for customers.
- Development assessment - An easy to use system that provides certainty for everyday applications such as family homes, extensions and small businesses. "

"Within five years, we are aiming for 80 per cent of applications to go through a faster code assessment process, which has the potential to save the community and business around $174 million a year through reduced delays," Mr Hazzard said.

"Some of the other transforming elements of the new system include:

• A Community Participation Charter which guarantees community participation in the planning process. Councils and communities will need to develop Community Participation Plans which are consistent with this Charter.
• The planning system will move into the 21st Century with a "one-stop shop" NSW Government electronic portal will enable people to comment on 3D interactive models of planning proposals and find all relevant planning controls in one place.
• Comprehensive Growth Infrastructure Plans will be prepared alongside major planning changes - NSW is the first state or territory in Australia to take this approach.
• Introduction of a far more rigorous approach to building standards.
• The State's development contribution system will be made more robust and accountable, with councils required to spend the money on local infrastructure within three years to ensure infrastructure is delivered when it is needed.
• Additional funds will be made available for schools, regional roads, open space and stormwater/drainage - including in existing suburbs - through the new regional infrastructure contribution system. Costs will be more evenly shared by new developments in existing suburbs and in new land release areas."

Public submissions to the White Paper are able to be lodged up until 28 June 2013. More information can be found at the Department's website:

http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/

Draft Metropolitan Strategy released

By 2031 Sydney's population is expected to increase from 4.3million to 5.6million people. An additional 545,000 more homes are required and 625,000 jobs.

The draft metropolitan strategy addresses the challenge. The Draft Strategy summary states that it:

• Prioritises housing and jobs growth right across Sydney.
• Sets ambitious minimum housing and jobs targets, which are up 17% and 33% respectively on the previous strategy.
• Promotes housing choice everywhere. This includes the announcement of a new Land Release Policy, which will be released later in 2013, to encourage housing growth in response to market demand and infrastructure support.
• The identification of key locations - our nine "city shapers" - that will demonstrate how housing and jobs growth can be delivered alongside improved transport connections and infrastructure.
• Coordination between the draft Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney and the State’s infrastructure plans - the Long Term Transport Master Plan and the State Infrastructure Strategy.
• Recognises and supports the agricultural areas that produce fresh food close to the city, at the same time as balancing the need to provide more opportunities for housing.
• An implementation plan, with regular reporting rules, to ensure accountability and delivery of this strategy.

The nine key City Shapers are:


- Global Sydney
- Sydney Harbour
- Global Economic Corridor (From Port Botany & Sydney Airport through the Lower North Shore to Macquarie Park)
- Parramatta
- Parramatta Road Corridor
- Anzac Parade Corridor
- North West Rail Link Corridor
- Western Sydney Employment Area
- Sydney's Metropolitan Rural Area


Submissions to the Draft Strategy close on 31 May. More information can be found at the Department's website:

http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/
 

Role of Development Control Plans made explicit in key change to Planning Act

A recent change to the Act from 1 March 2013 has made it explicit that the function of a DCP is to provide guidelines.
S.74BA of the Act now defines the purpose of a DCP as follows:
(a) giving effect to the aims of any environmental planning instrument that applies to the development,
(b) facilitating development that is permissible under any such instrument,
(c) achieving the objectives of land zones under any such instrument.
The provisions of a development control plan made for that purpose are not statutory requirements.
The amendment also now states that a provision of a DCP that is inconsistent or incompatible with a provision of an environmental planning instrument has no effect.

New Council Draft LEPs

• Sutherland Shire Draft LEP 2013 exhibition closed 1 May 2013. The DLEP adopts the State Government's standard instrument template and combines four current planning instruments into one

• Ku-Ring-Gai Draft LEP 2013 drafted under the standard instrument template finished exhibition on 6 May 2013 and will replace the Ku-Ring-Gai Planning Scheme.

• Leichhardt Council's new draft LEP replacing LEP 2000 completed its exhibition on 28th February 2013 and reporting back to Council on submissions is understood to be close.

Chris Blyth - Sydney town planner, planning consultant NSW, Certified Practising Planner