Have your say: review of the Planning & Environment Act
The Planning and Environment Act 1989 (‘the Act’) is currently being reviewed with a focus on modernising the Act. The Department of Planning and Community Development (‘DPCD’) has recently released for comment a draft Planning and Environment Amendment (General) Bill (‘draft Bill’) and an accompanying Commentary.
The draft Bill sets out proposed amendments to the Act including:
The draft Bill sets out proposed amendments to the Act including:
- Introducing a new planning process for projects declared State significant development.
- Introducing a new streamlined process for amending a planning scheme.
- Introducing two separate planning permit processes, being code assessment and merits assessment. The new code assessment process does not allow the community to make submissions or apply to VCAT for review of the decision.
- Other changes to the permit process including changes to the matters that must be considered by the responsible authority, to what conditions can be put on permits and the process for amending planning permits.
- Changes to the operation of s173 agreements.
- Providing for the monitoring and reporting on the performance of the planning systems through annual reporting.
Public submissions are due by Friday 12 February 2010. For further information and how to make a submission, please refer to the DPCD website.
(source: EDO Victoria eBulletin, No.22 of 2009, 17 December 2009)
