Council to fight changes

BY PAM WALKER
Waverley Council has joined councils across the state calling for an Upper House Inquiry into the NSW Government’s proposed planning changes.

The council is backing the Local Government Association (LGSA) in its fight for a freeze on the implementation of the Draft Exposure Bills (Planning Changes), and its demand for a Parliamentary Inquiry.

Mayor Ingrid Strewe said she was particularly concerned about the proposal to send commercial developments over $20 million to a regional panel for approval. This panel would be similar to the Central Sydney Planning Committee that assesses developments worth over $50 million in the City of Sydney.

It would be made up of five members: three appointed by the State Government and two from the council. The council appointees would be required to have planning experience.

‘Councils can make recommendations but the panel will have the final say and the Government has the numbers,’ Councillor Strewe said. ‘And we have put so much work into our planning controls.’

The legislation, which also revises developer contribution levies known as Section 94 and expands the role of private certifiers in the planning process, will go before Parliament this month.

Over the last year Waverley has assessed several developments that exceed $20 million: the most recent, the Swiss Grand proposal, is due to be considered by the council before the end of June. That DA would go to the regional panel if the council rejected the proposal and developers submitted a new DA.