Directions Paper - Western Australian Planning Commission

Directions Paper on the Integration of NRM and Land Use Planningidentification of priority NRM issues and areas tobe considered in development of local planningstrategies.Recommended action:• Facilitate workshops for each of thePlanning regions (involving State NRMagencies, local governments andregional NRM groups) to identify priorityNRM issues and areas to be consideredin land use planning.• Develop and support delivery of projectswhich seek to address informationand policy gaps identified throughEPA/WAPC priorities for integratedenvironmental planning.5.3 Local planningstrategies and schemesLocal Planning Strategies present one ofthe greatest opportunities for improving theintegration of NRM into land use planning anddecision making. The local planning strategy isa strategic document that;• Sets out the long-term planning directionsfor the local government over a 10-15 yeartime frame;• Provides a mechanism for applying Stateand regional planning policies at the locallevel;• Provides the rationale for proposed zonesand other provisions of the scheme.In 1999, amendments to the Town Planning andDevelopment Regulations 1967 introduced therequirement for all councils in Western Australiato prepare a Local Planning Strategy whensubstantially reviewing or preparing a new LocalPlanning Scheme. A Local Planning Strategyis a valuable strategic planning tool that canguide decisions on development, subdivisionand rezoning which promote sustainabledevelopment, by considering the social,economic and environmental needs of the localgovernment area in a wider regional context. Itplaces particular emphasis on appropriate useand development of land, and minimisation ofpotential land use conflict. Determinations underthe subsequent scheme must also be consistentwith the Local Planning Strategy.Local Planning Strategies are prepared by theLocal Government, or consultants acting on theirbehalf, and are granted final endorsement bythe Western Australian Planning Commission.Procedures for the advertisement and adoptionof local planning strategies are outlined withinthe Town Planning Regulations 1967 (asamended) available at www.slp.wa.gov.au/legislation/statutes.nsf/main_mrtitle_2133_homepage.html.The local planning scheme is the statutoryimplementation arm to the local planningstrategy and is used to control land use anddevelopment within a locality. Under thePlanning and Development Act 2005, localgovernments are responsible for the preparationand implementation of local planning schemes.Local Planning Schemes are a statutoryplanning tool that classify areas for land use andinclude provisions to coordinate development ina locality. Put simply, a local planning schemeconsists of scheme maps and associated text,with the maps identifying reserves and zonesthat apply to land use, and the text providingdetailed provisions which apply to developmentof the land.The process for preparing and amending alocal planning scheme is set out in the Planningand Development Act 2005. The processincludes a formal assessment by the EPAunder s48 of the Environmental Protection Act1986, public consultation, consideration by theWAPC, approval by the Minister for Planning,and gazettal in the government gazette. A flowchart of the process has been included withinAppendix 8.Under the Act, Local Governments are requiredto review their local planning schemes every5 years, however this doesn’t always occur inpractice with many town planning schemes40