Planning Reform Action Plan to simplify and modernise the system
26 August 2019
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Action Plan aims to support vibrant communities and encourage new businesses
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Plan outlines 19 initiatives to improve Western Australia's planning system
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Proposal for a simplified system that removes superfluous processes and red tape
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Quicker, cheaper approvals for change of use in town centres and high streets
Planning Minister Rita Saffioti has today
released a 19-point plan to simplify and improve
Western Australia's
planning system.
The Action Plan for Planning Reform: Better planning better places
report was put together to address three key objectives:
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Make planning easier to understand and navigate
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Make sure planning systems are consistent and efficient
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Planning systems need to create great places for people
The Action Plan is the McGowan
Government's response to the Planning Reform Green Paper released in
2018.
It reflects the McGowan Government's priority to deliver
transformational projects such as
METRONET and ensure liveable
environments, well-connected communities and more housing choice.
Planning Minister Rita Saffioti and Parliamentary Secretary John Carey
have worked with the reform team to ensure key objectives align with
policies such as METRONET.
Initiatives outlined in the plan respond to community and industry
concern about inconsistency, transparency, accountability and overly
complex red tape.
The 19 initiatives outlined in the Action Plan includes community-driven
proposals, such as:
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lashing the number of land zones from over 1000 to less than 300;
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Development assessment processes are streamlined and outcomes focussed;
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Abolishing the need for small businesses to apply for change of use in town centres and main streets;
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Targeted reduction in approval timeframes for low risk planning proposals;
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State wide consistent community consultation processes for development proposals; and
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Changes to Development Assessment Panels to boost consistency and transparency
The next step for the Action Plan requires considerable stakeholder involvement to shape the detail of some of the initiatives and monitor for potential adjustment. More information is available at: https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/planning-reform
Comments attributed to
Planning Minister Rita Saffioti:
"This Action Plan is about the State Government setting the agenda that
we want others to follow. That means working with local governments and
other stakeholders towards better consistency, less red tape and more
transparency.
"We have listened to long-standing concerns that the planning system
needs to be streamlined and that it needs to respond to modern
requirements.
"Our 19 initiatives outlined in our Action Plan are a great start to
achieving some of the things we aspire our communities to be - vibrant,
sustainable and well-connected.
"It's also about removing unnecessary impediments that have restrained
small businesses, such as change of use applications. Meanwhile, we are
introducing measures to better educate the community about what can and
can't be built around them.
"Changes to Development Assessment Panels in particular will ensure
decision-making is consistent and robust, and increase community
confidence."
Comments attributed to Parliamentary Secretary John Carey MLA:
"This is part of a range of recent efforts to create a planning
framework that fosters vibrancy, business opportunity and street
activation - rather than discouraging it.
"We can always do better - and this reform process provides a genuine
opportunity to lift the performance of our planning system in Western
Australia.
"It's about creating a planning system that takes the community with it
through the process, says "yes" to good ideas and responds to varying
community needs.
"Our Action Plan, together with Design WA, will go a long way towards
creating positive change in our planning system to create the
communities we want in years to come."
--ENDS--
Source: Western Australia Government - www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au
Contact: Minister's office - 6552 5500
External Links: https://www.dplh.wa.gov.au/planning-reform
Recent news by: WA Government