Final Report PlanFirst Review Taskforce - Department of Planning

When preparing new integrated plans in advance of regional strategy development, councils need
to collaborate with State agencies to ensure that the full range of State issues is considered. Any
emerging regional issues will need to be incorporated within the strategic component of the
integrated plan to ensure consistency with regional objectives is achieved.
In addition to the above, the non-statutory components of an integrated plan must be adopted by
councils before 31 December 2008 and all new integrated plans must be provided in an electronic
format in every LGA.
In order to ensure the effective delivery of integrated plans in the timeframes stipulated above,
DIPNR must further develop its e-planning provisions to enable detailed property/planning
information to become available over the internet.
Strategic Framework for Integrated Plans
The success of integrated plans depends on councils developing informed strategic positions in
regard to a range of environmental planning, social, economic, natural resource and other policy
issues.
The development of a long term (20 year) strategic plan by local councils is necessary to guide the
preparation of shorter-term strategies, integrated plans and operational plans in each LGA. Whilst
the Local Government Act 1993 and the Department of Local Government (DLG) provides
guidelines for councils to prepare management plans (Management Planning for NSW Guidelines,
February 2000), it does not specifically require councils to prepare a long term whole of LGA
strategic plan.
The content of such a strategic plan should be arranged around the council’s key program areas
and should address matters such as the regional context, sustainability indicators (economic,
social/cultural and environmental) and supporting infrastructure. There should be clear links
between the council’s long term strategic plan, its management plan, its integrated plan and its
range of operational plans.
In this regard, the Taskforce recommends that the Minister for Local Government should be
requested to:
(a) encourage councils to prepare a long term strategic plan for a sustainable future for
every LGA; and
(b) develop a set of ‘Best Practice Guidelines’ (following consultation with local government)
for the preparation of local government management plans and strategic plans, to
ensure that councils provide clear links between the management plan and the council’s
strategic plan.
In order to ensure the effective development of councils’ strategic plans, the DLG and DIPNR
should consult with local councils during development of the best practice guidelines. This
consultation should occur immediately and the DLG and DIPNR should be required to complete the
guidelines before 31 March 2004.
It is noted that many of the stakeholders have raised concern with the Taskforce regarding the lack
of skilled town planners within local government. The town planning profession, especially within
local government, is recognised to be suffering from a lack of experienced planners to undertake
both strategic environmental planning and development control activities. Anecdotal evidence
suggests that planners are leaving local government to pursue work in the private sector or within
PRINT VERSION
1 September 2003
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