What's New
12 November 2010
Where there are planning rules that limit the discretion of decision-makers to refuse development, and in particular limit the ability of decision-makers to make rules or refuse development by reference to public opinion, the need for political involvement is reduced.However, there will always be a need to allow for departures from pre-determined planning controls to embrace innovative development, overcome obsolete rules or respond to unanticipated community needs. Any system must cater to this, and at times, decisions to vary rules will need to be made by state politicians as representatives of the community.
06 Septemeber 2010
In our view, the draft SEPP should not proceed in its present form. This is a two page overview of our more detailed submission which is also available on this website: Time for some competition.01 September 2010
Identifying the problems and proposing solutions. A submission by the Urban Taskforce to the Productivity Commission in response to its issues paper: Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Planning, Zoning and Development Assessments.23 August 2010
A planning system that gives consumers more choice, lower prices and better service. An Urban Taskforce submission to the NSW Government in response to the exhibition of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Competition) 2010. 23 August 201007 July 2010
The Central Sydney Planning Committee/City of Sydney is responsible to the most significant area of urban land in Australia. While it covers just 26 square kilometres the economic activity generated in the City of Sydney is approximately $80 billion, representing 8 per cent (nearly one-twelfth) of the total national Australian economy, over 30 per cent of the Sydney metropolitan area and almost one-quarter of the GDP of the entire state of NSW.01 June 2010
How to re-boot the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy. A submission to the NSW Department of Planning's Metropolitan Strategy Review and a response to the discussion paper Sydney Towards 2036.
21 May 2010
.... and extending the reach of heritage laws into lounge rooms everywhereThis is a submission to the NSW Department of Planning paper Potential Amendments to the Standard Instrument March 2010.
Regretfully, we are very critical of the great bulk of the proposals in this document. With only a few exceptions, it seems that these proposals have been prepared on the assumption that the NSW planning system is suffering from a lack of regulation and detailed prescription.
