The Trust is concerned that the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s proposed Statewide Community Participation Plan will significantly weaken the transparency and accountability of State Government Planning and consequently impact the unique and special character of the Hunters Hill Municipality.
 
We are alarmed that this Plan will seriously reduce, and in many cases remove entirely, opportunities for neighbours and interested parties with local knowledge from commenting on development in their local area. The risk of excluding the community in planning decisions will undoubtedly result in outcomes that will impact and erode the character, heritage and environment of our nationally significant area.
 
The public exhibition period is closed but details of the Plan can be found at: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/under-consideration/have-your-say-proposed-statewide-community-participation-plan
 
The Trust understands the imperative to reduce approval times for new development. However the current housing crisis has many causes, of which planning rules are only one component, and selectively choosing public consultation as a key driver of delays in planning approvals is unacceptable.
 
Under the proposed changes, no public notification at all would be required for 16 categories of residential development which meet the relevant planning controls and are considered ‘low impact’ including:

A modest brick home dwarfed by so called ‘low impact’ constructions either side which would in future require no public notification

o New Single And Two-Storey Dwellings
o Dual Occupancies
o Swimming Pools
o Secondary Dwellings
o Heritage item – minor work that does not impact item and are located behind the front façade
o Alterations And Additions To Existing Dwellings
o Tree Removals

 
 

In addition there appear to be no details as to how implementation of these “reforms” would operate in practice. For example, will proposals that still require approval but are no longer subject to public exhibition, appear on a DA register? If not, how will affected residents be made aware that an application has been lodged?
 
To add insult to injury, neighbours of approved medium density apartments would receive only seven days’ notice before construction work begins. This is unacceptable when arrangements may have to be made to mitigate the potential serious effects of prolonged construction work on lives and amenity.

 
We are also concerned about the exemption from public exhibition and submissions for developments where Council is the proponent. These must continue to be mandatory or there must be independent oversight.
 
In general, the proposals outlined would in many instances, reduce the transparency and accountability of decision makers and improving public scrutiny has consistently been recognised as a safeguard against corruption.  ICAC has already identified that the Planning System in particular must have strong anti-corruption protections embedded within it and recommended six safeguards: certainty, balancing competing public interests, transparency, reducing complexity, meaningful community participation, and expanded third-party merit appeals. This Plan in fact appears to weaken five of these six safeguards.
 
The Trust argues that community participation must remain a central part of the planning process. Removing local knowledge, expertise, and community values from planning decisions undermines democratic participation and unfairly excludes residents in favour of developer interests.  Excluding community oversight also reduces transparency, accountability and integrity in the planning process and risks the potential for corruption.
 
We consider that this Plan could have lasting adverse effects on many communities and ultimately lead to a further decline in public confidence in the Planning System and Local Government administration of planning outcomes in NSW.
 
The Trust’s submission to NSW Planning is here: Submission re Draft Statewide Community Participation Plan 030626