Part 3A roll-back means that broader planning reform must come quickly

04 April 2011

The NSW Governments decision to act on its mandate to roll-back Part 3A is unsurprising, according to the Urban Taskforce. The Taskforces chief executive, Aaron Gadiel, said the Coalition parties had set out an agenda to repeal Part 3A, reduce red tape, dramatically boost the supply of new homes, invest in urban infrastructure and reform the planning system.

 

Part 3A has been an important part of the planning system since 2005, Mr Gadiel said.

 

The NSW planning system would have ground to a halt long ago without Part 3A.

 

Part 3A has helped paper over deep seated problems in the planning system by overcoming illogical rules and unjustifiable prohibitions with a flexible approval process.

 

Nonetheless the OFarrell Government has a clear mandate to repeal it.

 

Mr Gadiel said the roll-back of Part 3A makes comprehensive reform of the planning system unavoidable and urgent.

 

This must mean less red tape, stronger efforts to boost the supply of new homes and more public investment in urban infrastructure, he said.

 

NSWs investment in new housing, business premises and retail precincts will decline even further if there isnt a sensible approval process in place.

 

Mr Gadiel said that NSW was number one for building activity until 2007, but that title was lost to Victoria and the state has never regained it.

 

The value of Victorian building activity is 12 per cent higher than in NSW, he said.

 

Per head of population, investment in Victorian building is running at one-and-a-half times that of NSW.

 

The change of government is an opportunity to take a fresh look at the wide range of government policies that have contributed to NSWs decline.

 

The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.

 

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