03 June 2014
The NSW Government’s proposal for a Greater Sydney Commission could restructure state significant planning for metropolitan Sydney, says the Urban Taskforce.
“The Urban Taskforce believes the role of a new Greater Sydney Commission needs to be carefully structured in relation to existing government planning and delivery bodies to ensure it is not just another layer of government bureaucracy,” says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. “We already have the Planning and Environment agency, the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC), the Joint Regional Planning Panels (JRPPs), Urban Growth NSW and Infrastructure NSW on behalf of the State Government and of course many councils.”
“There is an opportunity with this new organisation to focus on those projects that are of state and regional significance, developing the overall planning strategy for where growth is located and how infrastructure is aligned with this. The new Commission should also become the secretariat for the PAC and the JRPPs by providing assessment reports of state and regionally significant projects over $10 million in value. The Commission secretariat would be established by seconding staff from councils as well as from the state government’s Planning and Environment agency.”
“The Melbourne Planning Authority could be looked at as a model as it seems to be taking a state government proactive role across councils and supporting growth. The Melbourne authority chairs all strategic planning committees of sub- regional groupings of councils.”
“If the Greater Sydney Commission becomes a driver of growth on behalf of the state with a major centre of excellence managing strategic planning and providing assessment reports on all projects above $10 million, it will be a useful body. If however it becomes another layer of government that the property industry must negotiate in addition to the existing bureaucracy, it will slow down housing production in Sydney.”