As a result of heavy amendments in the Upper House by Labor, the Greens and the Shooters and Fishers, this morning in the Lower House, Minister Hazzard withdrew the NSW Planning Bills until February/March next year.

This is a very positive development, but we will need to keep on fighting to ensure that the Bills do not become law next year and that our planning system is reformed in a way that genuinely addresses the persistent problems that continue to plague planning and development in NSW.

The Nature Conservation Council has provided a preliminary analysis of amendments made in the Upper House over the last couple of days:   Preliminary analysis of amendments to the Planning Bills