26 September, 2013
Central Coast’s natural environment and coastal lifestyle at risk under new planning system
The CEO of the Nature Conservation Council (NCC) was on the Central Coast today to launch a new report highlighting the hidden risks in the NSW Government’s proposed new planning laws.
The report, entitled Nature in the Balance: Environmental protections at risk under the proposed new planning system for New South Wales, exposes serious flaws in the draft Planning Bill 2013, which is due to be debated in parliament next month.
“The proposed new planning laws pose a serious threat to the sensitive environments and coastal lifestyle that people on the Central Coast value so much,” NCC Chief Executive Officer Pepe Clarke.
“These laws are unfair and unbalanced, putting the interests of developers before the needs of the broader community and the protection of the natural environment.
“Under the new laws, developers would have new rights to override local plans and challenge council zoning decisions, placing existing environmental protections at risk.”
In addition, State Environmental Planning Policies, which contain protections for sensitive environmental areas like coastal wetlands, rainforest and koala habitat, will cease to exist under the new planning system.
“The government has announced that these planning policies will be scrapped, but has failed to guarantee that the environmental protections they contain will be carried over to the new system,” said Mr Clarke said.
“This means that important natural areas like Tuggerah Lakes may beat risk, and that existing protections for wildlife habitat on the Central Coast may be lost forever.”
The Community Environment Network is deeply concerned about the potential impacts of the proposed new planning laws on the local environment on the Central Coast.
“With development pressures mounting on the Central Coast, we need modern planning laws that protect the natural environment and our coastal lifestyle,” said CEN Executive Officer Jane Smith.
“Instead, the government is proposing to reduce environmental safeguards in the planning system, and to exclude expert environmental agencies from important development decisions.”
Under the new laws, high-impact developments like coastal subdivisions and marinas will no longer need approval from expert agencies, including DPI Fisheries and the Environment Protection Authority.
“Removing the requirement for approval from expert agencies will place our waterways, fish habitat and native wildlife at risk, when they are already under stress from pollution and poorly planned development,” Ms Smith said.
“We are calling on Premier O’Farrell to withdraw these deeply flawed laws, and to develop a new proposal for a planning system that is fair, balanced and environmentally responsible.”
Summary of key concerns
- Important environmental protections are being scrapped. Government has announced that it intends to repeal existing statewide planning policies that protect coastal wetlands, littoral rainforest, koala habitat and urban bushland, with no guarantee that these protections will be carried over into the new system (Nature in the Balance, pp.8-9).
- The proposed laws are unfair and unbalanced. Under the new laws, developers will have new rights to override local plans and challenge council zoning decisions, with no corresponding right for affected community members.
- The proposed laws put economic development ahead of social and environmental considerations. The new laws will remove the principles of ecologically sustainable development from the planning system, and contain multiple mechanisms for overriding environmental protections (Nature in the Balance, p.5).
- The Planning Department will be empowered to approve high-impact developments like coastal subdivisions, marinas and piggeries without approval from expert agencies, including DPI Fisheries, the Office of Environment and Heritage the Environment Protection Authority (Nature in the Balance, p.12).
- The new planning laws will deliver massive windfall profits for developers, increasing corruption risk in the system. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has raised concerns about the broad, unfettered discretion given to key decision makers, including the Minister for Planning and the Director-General of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.
For more information, download Nature in the Balance from the Nature Conservation Council website.
Tags
Planning and Development
Let others know about this issue