Directions Paper - Western Australian Planning Commission

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Directions Paper on the Integration of NRM and Land Use PlanningEnvironmental Considerations asPlanning MattersThe Act includes NRM considerations as matterswhich may be dealt with by local planningschemes, region schemes and State planningpolicies. Schedule 7 of the Act describes thosematters which may be dealt with by a localplanning scheme, and includes:• The conservation of the naturalenvironment of the scheme area includingthe protection of natural resources, thepreservation of trees, vegetation and otherflora and fauna, and the maintenanceof ecological processes and geneticdiversity; and• The conservation of water.Schedule 7 forms the basis for those matterswhich may be dealt with by a State PlanningPolicy(s26(3)), a region scheme (s34(2)) and bya local planning scheme (s69 (1)). The role ofeach of these planning mechanisms and theirrelevance to achieving NRM outcomes is furtherdiscussed in Chapter 4.3.4.2 The State Planning Strategy 1997The State Planning Strategy provides thebasis for long-term State and regional landuse planning and sets a broad strategicdirection and common vision for the sustainabledevelopment of WA up until 2029. The Strategywas prepared in accordance with a requirementunder the Planning and Development Act 2005Division 2, Section 14 (b) which requires theWestern Australian Planning Commission toprepare and keep under review a planningstrategy for the State that provides a basis forcoordinating and promoting land use planning,transport planning and land development in asustainable manner, and to provide guidancefor public authorities and local governments onthese matters.The strategy sets out five key principles relatingto the environment, community, economy,infrastructure and regional development to guidethe way in which future planning decisions aremade. The Strategy establishes the need ‘toprotect and enhance the key natural and culturalassets of the State and deliver to all WestAustralians a high quality of life which is basedon sound environmentally sustainable principles’as a key consideration in land use planningdecision making.The State Planning Strategy can be foundat the following link: www.wapc.wa.gov.au/Publications/52.aspx and is further discussed inSection 5.1.2.3.4.3 Planning as a land use controlThe 2007 State of the Environment Report (2007)identified population growth and consumption asone of the greatest threats to the environment.Therefore, where we place our landuses, andhow we control those land uses is an importantconsideration when looking to protect the naturalenvironment. Land use planning provides aprocess for considering land use change andcan ensure that NRM matters are factored intodecision making.3.4.4 Planning as a mechanism forachieving NRM outcomesPlanning can provide a mechanism fordelivering NRM outcomes through theidentification of areas requiring protection, areassuitable for development and use, and areasrequiring restoration, within a sustainabilityframework. This can include provisions such asrequirements for foreshore reserves, protectionof drinking water supply areas and measuresfor managing flood risk. Opportunities foraddressing NRM outcomes through the planningsystem are discussed further in Chapter 4.In a review of the six Regional NRM Strategiesfor Western Australia from a land use planningperspective, many of the objectives and targetsthat were set within the strategies were able tobe addressed in part by effective considerationof NRM in the land use planning process.Such issues included but are not limited to, theprotection of key agricultural, biodiversity and10
Directions Paper on the Integration of NRM and Land Use Planningbasic raw material areas, preventing or limitingexposure of acid sulphate soils, floodplainmanagement, ensuring land use reflectsland capability, protection of coastal habitat,landforms and process and protecting thequality of ground and surface water supplies.A full copy of the review of the NRM regionalstrategies has been included within Appendix 3,and further discussion on the review of the sixNRM regional strategies is provided inSection 4.7.1.3.5 Recognising the limitationsfor NRMWhilst the links between planning and NRM arewell established, there are some fundamentallimitations in using the planning system toachieve NRM outcomes. Recognising theselimitations is essential to using the planningsystem effectively. Key considerations include;• Land use change is required to trigger theland use planning process.• The WA planning system is a complexsystem with a tiered approval process.• Time frames associated with the planningapproval and development process.• A historic development focus withinWestern Australia.Land use changeLand use planning is a process for managingand coordinating land use change and it istherefore land use change that triggers the landuse planning process. Whilst some managementor protection measures can be requiredthrough the planning system, (for examplea requirement to prepare and implement aforeshore management plan) the offset is usuallysome form of subdivision or development. Landuse planning therefore has limited influencein pastoral or broadacre farming areas wherethere is minimal change in land use, and is mosteffective in those areas undergoing developmentpressure.Tiered approval processThe WA planning system is made up of amulti layered approval process with planningoccurring at the State, regional and local levels.Prior to subdivision or development, a proposalmust be in accordance with an endorsed localplanning strategy and local planning scheme,be on land that is zoned appropriately andmust be in accordance within any applicableendorsed structure plan. Approvals are requiredat each stage of the process, and it is importantthat NRM considerations are made as earlyin the process as possible, to enable theseconsiderations to flow through the process intothe detailed design stages. It is very difficult toeffectively address NRM at the subdivision anddevelopment stages where these issues havenot been previously raised, as opportunitiesare limited to statutory requirements, such asthe maximum requirement of 10% public openspace. Chapter 5 outlines the opportunities andconstraints for addressing NRM through eachstage of the planning process.Time framesTimeframes associated with making changesto the land use planning framework, and inthe planning approvals process, can resultin significant delays in achieving NRMoutcomes through land use planning. Theintegration of NRM considerations into thelocal planning strategy has been identifiedby the EnviroPlanning project as providingthe greatest opportunity for improving theconsideration of NRM in decision making (seeSection 5.3 for further detail). The time takento prepare, obtain endorsement and amenda local planning strategy can however, takeupwards of 12months. In the absence of astrategic framework, statutory planning is stillundertaken, and decisions can be made thatmay compromise the direction of the localplanning strategy.Similarly, when NRM considerations areincluded within the planning framework (eg NRMprovisions within a local planning scheme) thetime taken to modify these provisions shouldbest practice change, can be lengthy.11
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Directions Paper - Western Australian Planning Commission

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