Final Report PlanFirst Review Taskforce - Department of Planning

3.0 BACKGROUND – PLANFIRST OBJECTIVES, PRINCIPLES AND
PROPOSALS
The PlanFirst proposals were first made in a White Paper released in 2001. In June 2002, the
former Minister for Planning announced the go-ahead for PlanFirst supported by start-up
Government funding of $4 million and introduction of the strategic planning fee.
Since that time work has progressed on reviewing existing SEPPs and Ministerial Directions, the
scoping of major issues in certain regions, refining the single local plan concept and developing
options for electronic delivery of integrated planning information.
The main objectives and principles of PlanFirst were aimed at:
• Simplifying the system by reducing the numbers and layering of plans (and the controls and
actions contained in them) that apply to land and as a result improve clarity and consistency of
requirements, certainty of process and customisation of provisions for land holders.
• Strategies and plans being explicitly founded on the principles of sustainability and monitored
as to their performance, resulting in more informed actions on the ground.
• A better connection between the range of existing planning structures (eg: social,
economic, natural resource planning) and processes that often operate independently and
ineffectively.
• Clearer State and regional guidance to facilitate more informed local planning and allowing
the State government to focus on strategic policy development.
• Planning and managing regions and local areas as interconnected places not just a collection
of issues, geographic features and land uses.
• A point for regional collaboration allowing State significant and locally important issues to be
addressed.
• More meaningful opportunities for community engagement in plan making especially in
helping to set visions and examine future scenarios rather than just comment on single issues
or detailed controls.
• Safeguarding Ministerial powers to intervene where required ensuring environmental
protection or maintenance of State or regionally significant assets.
• Improving development assessment practices and simplifying approval processes by:
PRINT VERSION
1 September 2003
• streamlining the remaining concurrence requirements
• crafting urban design and environmental controls to the characteristics of a place
• providing a platform for considering and using a more versatile range of tools and
incentives (like property management planning and other market based
approaches) for tailoring the implementation of plan outcomes and getting lasting
results.
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