Final Report PlanFirst Review Taskforce - Department of Planning

1.3 Scope of the Review
The approach the Taskforce took was to consider the main elements of PlanFirst within the context
of the role of the planning system in general, and the responsibilities of DIPNR in setting the
strategic direction for land use, natural resources and infrastructure at a place level and
providing advice on policy and strategy for key issues at a regional and State-wide level.
The Taskforce concluded that the primary matters for examination were:
• how the system can be made more simple and user friendly
• the role and function of regional forums
• the form, content and roll-out of regional strategies
• the concept and function of a single local plan
• the role of State agencies in the plan making and development assessment process
• the ongoing collection and use of the strategic planning fee.
Further components of PlanFirst that the Taskforce considered to be matters not requiring review
included:
• e-plan delivery of planning instruments and information to build on the technical work already
done to integrate plan making.
• improving practice in community engagement and participation in the plan making process. It
was noted that the former PlanningNSW had developed a Community Engagement Handbook
and companion website (www.iplan.nsw.gov.au/engagement/) to assist in fulfilling the need for
practical guidance on how to conduct quality processes of community engagement.
An interrelated issue which was canvassed in the PlanFirst White Paper (2001) was the role of
masterplans in the plan making and development assessment process. DIPNR has established a
separate Taskforce to review the growing reliance on masterplans by consent authorities and
advise on circumstances when such plans are appropriate. The PlanFirst Review Taskforce was of
the view that the requirement for and use of masterplans in the land use development process
requires greater clarity and consequently made a submission to the Masterplans Review Taskforce
(refer to Appendix 1).
The Taskforce also acknowledged that DIPNR was conducting a separate review and consolidation
of State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) to ensure that they provide a clear and strategic
framework that will guide regional and local planning.
This report addresses the Terms of Reference as follows:
Section 3 outlines the objectives, principles and proposals of PlanFirst.
Section 4 examines the regional planning aspects.
Section 5 examines the local planning aspects, including the opportunities to implement a degree of
consistency in the structure and content of local level plans.
Section 6 examines the administration of the strategic planning fee and suggests principles for
using the monies collected.
Section 7 looks at achieving the next steps in implementation of improvements to the plan making
system.
PRINT VERSION
1 September 2003
4