Planning Tools
Planning for the Growth Centres started in 2003. The first draft Plans - called Managing Sydney's Growth Centres - were exhibited from June to October 2005 by the then Department of Planning.
Following the community's feedback, substantial changes were made to the plans, which were re-exhibited with the draft State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Region Growth Centres) 2006 (the Growth Centres SEPP) in early 2006.
The Growth Centres Commission formally took over the planning for the Growth Centres following gazettal of the Growth Centres SEPP in July 2006. Since December 2008, this responsibility now lies with the Department of Planning & Infrastructure.
Precinct Planning and other strategic planning is based on a number of planning tools:
- Growth Centres SEPP: State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Region Growth Centres) 2006 is the legal instrument that establishes the planning rules and objectives for the Growth Centres. Consent authorities, such as local councils, must apply this policy when they make planning decisions about land within the Growth Centres areas.
Growth Centres Precincts which are not yet released will remain under their current land use controls. Some additional considerations under the Growth Centres SEPP ensure development proposals do not conflict with the identified future use of the area.
- The North West Structure Plan and South West Structure Plan set out the conceptual framework for the Growth Centres over the next 25 or more years. Explanatory Notes (see Publications & Info) provide further detail about the key elements of the Structure Plans.
- As part of Precinct Planning, the approval requirements of the Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Department of Water and Energy were reviewed in relation to Aboriginal heritage and rivers and foreshores issues. These matters will be addressed at the Precinct level, which avoids the need for further consideration at the Development Application stage. This results in substantial time and cost savings to the public and private sector. Ways to address planning issues at the Precinct level will continue to be worked through.
- The Growth Centres Development Code guides and informs Precinct Planning and the preparation of Indiciative Layout Plans and Development Control Plans for the Growth Centres. The Development Code will guide the design of a Precinct. It will be useful to planners, architects, landscape architects, developers and builders who will be working within the Growth Centres and will be updated to ensure it remains a comprehensive best practice guide to Precinct Planning.
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