The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has released the Minister’s Planning Principles backed by consolidated planning policies to simplify and provide certainty to the system.
Minister’s Planning Principles
The Minister’s Planning Principles should be used to guide strategic and land use planning decisions and inform the development of planning policies. The principles will seek to achieve outcomes across nine policy focus areas.
- Planning systems: A strategic and inclusive planning system for the community and the environment
- Design and place: Delivering well-designed places that enhance quality of life, the environment and the economy
- Biodiversity and conservation: Preserving, conserving and managing NSW’s natural environment and heritage
- Resilience and hazards: Managing risks and building resilience in the face of hazards
- Transport and infrastructure: Providing well-designed and located transport and infrastructure integrated with land use
- Housing: Delivering a sufficient supply of safe, diverse and affordable housing
- Industry and employment: Growing a competitive and resilient economy that is adaptive, innovative and delivers jobs
- Resources and energy: Promoting the sustainable use of NSW’s resources and transitioning to renewable energy
- Primary production: Protecting and supporting agricultural lands and opportunities for primary production.
New consolidated SEPPs
On 1 March 2022, the 45 existing State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) will be consolidated into the following 11 new SEPPs that reflect the Minister’s Planning Principles.
State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts – Eastern Harbour City) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts – Central River City) 2021
State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts – Western Parkland City) 2021
SEPP (Precincts – Regional) 2021
Existing SEPPs are also being consolidated under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 which commenced on 26 November 2021, and the proposed Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy 2021 which is on public exhibition until 28 February 2022.
No changes have been made to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 as part of this process and it will remain as a standalone SEPP.
What will the new SEPP framework look like?
The new SEPP framework can be summarised as follows:
Nine Policy Focus Areas & Outcomes to be Achieved | Consolidated SEPPS |
1. Housing Delivering a sufficient supply of safe, diverse and affordable housing. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (commenced 26 November 2021) The principles of this SEPP are as follows—
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2. Transport and Infrastructure Providing well-designed and located transport and infrastructure integrated with land use. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions:
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3. Primary Production Protecting and supporting agricultural lands and opportunities for primary production. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions:
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4. Biodiversity and Conservation Preserving, conserving and managing NSW’s natural environment and heritage. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 This SEPP contains:
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5. Resilience and Hazards Managing risks and building resilience in the face of hazards. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions:
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6. Design and Place Delivering well-designed places that enhance quality of life, the environment and the economy. | Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy 2021 This draft SEPP aims to simplify and consolidate how to address the need for sustainable and resilient places and deliver good design in NSW. |
7. Industry and Employment Growing a competitive and resilient economy that is adaptive, innovative and delivers jobs. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions:
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8. Resources and Energy Promoting the sustainable use of NSW’s resources and transitioning to renewable energy. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions:
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9. Planning Systems A strategic and inclusive planning system for the community and the environment. | State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021 The Planning systems SEPP:
State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 This Policy aims to provide streamlined assessment processes for development that complies with specified development standards by—
No changes have been made to this SEPP as part of this consolidation process and it will remain as a standalone SEPP. State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Central River City) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in the Central River City. This city is based the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities. State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Eastern Harbour City) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in the Eastern Harbour City. This city is based the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities. State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Regional) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in Regional NSW outside the Greater Sydney Region Plan. State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Western Parkland City) 2021 This SEPP contains planning provisions for precinct planning, which is a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts in this SEPP are located in the Wester Parkland City. This city is based the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities. |
For further information, please contact Ben Swain or Makaela Reay of Local Government Legal on (02) 4922 2301.
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
- The above information is not to be relied upon as legal advice.