Central Coast Local Planning Panel will be in place by 2020
Central Coast council will be sidelined as the consent authority for major local projects from next year when a State Government endorsed Local Planning Panel takes over.
Central Coast
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Major planning decisions will be taken out of the hands of Central Coast Council from early next year after the State Government decided to appoint a Local Planning Panel.
Local Planning Panels consist of independent government-endorsed experts who make decisions on sensitive, complex and high-value development applications on behalf of council.
The establishment of an LPP for the Central Coast was a key recommendation from the major independent review of governance in the NSW planning system by former NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas.
The review recognised the effectiveness of mandatory local planning panels — formerly known as independent Hearing and Assessment Panels — in metropolitan Sydney and Wollongong and recommended the NSW Government consider extending LPPs to other areas.
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said with Central Coast Council managing a large and growing population and economy, it made perfect sense that an LPP be extended to the region.
“Independent reviews of existing panels in NSW have demonstrated they are performing very well to deliver better planning outcomes which is why we’ve established a LPP for the Central Coast,” Mr Stokes said.
“The panel will free up Councillors to focus on the long-term strategic planning to lead the delivery of the region’s goals and priorities across its large jurisdiction,” he said.
A Central Coast LPP is expected to be in place by early 2020 and will consist of a chair and two independent experts appointed by Council from a Minister-endorsed pool of independent, qualified people, plus a community representative.
Terrigal State Liberal MP Adam Crouch said he was “delighted” the Central Coast Council has been added to the network of LPPs across NSW.
“This will bring greater transparency and accountability to our region’s planning system,” Mr Crouch said.
Member of the Legislative Council Taylor Martin said the Central Coast community had been calling for a LPP since the NSW Government first introduced the policy.
The change has also been back by the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council, and the Central Coast chapter of Urban Development Australia.
However, Local Government NSW said the mandatory planning panel was a further erosion of community and lcoal government planning powers despite growing public concern.
LGNSW President Linda Scott said the announcement appeared to herald a new push to remove the rights of communities and local governments to have a say in the future of their neighbourhood or their region.
“It is incredibly disappointing to see the State Government pushing ahead with the extension of mandatory planning panels to areas outside Sydney and Wollongong,” Clr Scott said.
“Local governments are elected to represent the views of their communities.
“A key role of local governments is to undertake place-based planning for the future of their area, and yet this role is being further eroded by the NSW Government.
Clr Scott said claims that the Panel was designed to “free up councillors to focus on long-term strategic planning” just didn’t wash, given the widespread use of State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) and Greater Sydney Commission Assurance Reviews that potentially have the effect of overriding council planning controls and powers.
“At a local government forum held on the Central Coast just over five months ago mayors and councillors from right across the political spectrum expressed their concerns about the reduction in local government planning powers,” she said.
Clr Scott said the Central Coast mandatory Planning Panel posed a serious risk of undermining the community’s faith and confidence in the planning system.