Final Report PlanFirst Review Taskforce - Department of Planning

would remain, with councils continuing to adopt their own LEP controls to guide development within
their LGA. In this regard, the LEP component would also contain flexible content that is tailored for
the particular LGA and may include provisions such as development standards, special provisions
(eg: heritage) and performance indicators. The LEP component of an integrated plan would
continue to enjoy the same statutory weight as is currently provided under the EP&A Act.
The non-statutory content of the integrated plan would contain the strategic state, regional and local
context of the plan, DCP type provisions to guide development, additional definitions and any
explanatory notes and related information necessary to assist in implementation of the integrated
plan.
It is considered that the introduction of a mandatory template for the preparation of integrated plans
will assist in extending the range of plan making activities for which councils have delegated
approval. In this regard, upon completion of the standard template DIPNR should investigate
opportunities for delegating further aspects of the Minister’s (Section 70) approval role to councils,
especially where the integrated plan provisions are consistent with State and regional planning
objectives. Councils that have consistently demonstrated proper planning practices and have
worked in partnership with DIPNR to achieve the objects of the EP&A Act could be immediately
targeted for increased delegations.
Model Provisions and Standard Definitions
The Taskforce raised the issue of standardisation of integrated plan form and content as a means
of improving the quality, legibility and simplicity of planning instruments.
As a way of providing consistent interpretation across plans, minimising administration costs and
improving accessibility for all users it was also suggested that integrated plans could have common
content - definitions, land use zones/descriptors and/or suite of statutory clauses.
The Taskforce noted that there has been little change to the EP&A Model Provisions since their
gazettal in 1980 (despite a number of reviews carried out by the Department) and hence councils
had developed a raft of new and varying definitions and clauses to overcome the dated and often
irrelevant clauses contained in the Model Provisions.
The Taskforce thought it important to have a set of standard definitions relating to measurement ie:
height, floorspace ratio, etc. and that the work undertaken by the National Development
Assessment Forum (DAF) provided a useful starting point.
Consistent DA definitions throughout Australia is seen by DAF as being a critical component of its
agenda to harmonise DA practices and systems. A discussion paper setting out a number of
proposed definitions was released for comment in 2001.
At the Planning Ministers' meeting held in November 2002, the Ministers adopted 14 definitions
(refer Appendix 4) and agreed to progress work on 5 "disputed" definitions (ie: allotment, building,
net floor area, frontage and floor space ratio). NSW committed to the implementation of the
adopted set of definitions through PlanFirst.
The Taskforce also noted that most other States were moving towards common planning scheme
templates and in some cases standard legal and administrative provisions (definitions, zones and
clauses) in order to provide greater consistency in the format, structure and basic provisions of
schemes.
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1 September 2003
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