2015-06-29 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                          29 JUNE 2015


Government Priority                                                                Comment

Refreshing the categories of development, to ensure they are a true standards-     The notion is that exempt and self-assessment would merge to be acceptable
based assessment, and simplifying them to accepted, assessable and prohibited      development. This seems reasonable and we would support as much as
categories.                                                                        appropriate being in that category.
                                                                                   Assessable development would either require “standard” or “merit” assessment
                                                                                   and “merit” may be further divided as some would require public notification but
                                                                                   some possibly would not.
                                                                                   The re-introduction of a prohibited category would be highly desirable.

For the assessable development category, specific consultation will occur about    Notionally, development that is currently code assessable, which is consistent
retaining the current levels of assessment (compliance, code, impact) or whether   with the intent of the zone and neighbourhood and should reasonably be
further change is needed, although notifiable development will continue to         expected to occur therefore should be subject to “standard” assessment in the
provide for submitter appeal rights                                                new regime however Councils may decide some warrant “merit” assessment.
                                                                                   Uses that are currently subject to impact assessment would require merit
                                                                                   assessment in the new regime. Where the appropriateness of a proposed use is
                                                                                   questionable or its potential impacts on others cannot be adequately assessed
                                                                                   through nominated codes, notification should also be required.

Replacing SPA’s complex and complicated rules for making assessment                The rules for assessment in SPA are not considered complex and complicated
decisions, with simplified rules that encourage a more holistic approach to        for making a decision and it is highly desirable that for developments in conflict
considering development proposals.                                                 with the planning scheme, the same test for sufficient grounds to override the
                                                                                   conflict continue to apply.
Under these rules, assessable development would either be approved (or
conditioned) using established benchmarks or decided against policy and other      The current legislation for performance based planning schemes has led to
relevant public interest matters                                                   cumbersome planning schemes and a lengthy list of requirements that a
                                                                                   development must meet. This has led to many planners taking a tick box
                                                                                   approach and not taking a more holistic approach. The absence of strategic
                                                                                   plans in planning schemes has also contributed to this narrow approach to
                                                                                   assessment.




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