State significant development (SSD) call-in Guidelines released

16 December 2011

 

State Environmental Planning Policy (State and Regional Development) 2011 (the SRD SEPP) declares certain development of a particular class or description to be State Significant Development (SSD). This development is identified within Schedules 1 and 2 of the SEPP.

 

Development that is not identified in Schedule 1 or 2 of the SEPP may be declared to be SSD by the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure after obtaining advice from the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) as to the State or regional planning significance of the proposed development. That is, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act allows for specified development to be declared SSD and therefore to be subject to the SSD provisions of the Act. This is commonly known as the ˜call-in power.

The call-in power operates in addition to the SRD SEPP and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure have released a guideline that sets out the process that proponents should follow when seeking to have a development proposal called-in as SSD.

When determining the State or regional planning significance of a development proposal, the Minister has requested the Planning Assessment Commission to consider issues including:

¢ whether the proposal is of regional or State importance because it is in an identified strategic location, or is critical in advancing the nominated strategic direction or achieving a nominated strategic outcome, contained in a relevant State policy, plan or strategy, or regional or sub-regional strategy;

¢ whether the proposal delivers major public benefits such as large-scale essential transport, utility infrastructure, or social services to the community;

¢ whether the proposal is likely to have significant environmental, social or economic impacts or benefits, be of a significant hazardous or environmentally-polluting nature, or is located in or in close proximity to areas or locations that have State or regional environmental, archaeological or cultural heritage significance;

¢ whether the proposal is of significant economic benefit to a region, the State or the national economy, such as those with high levels of financial investment and continuing or long-term employment generation;

¢ whether the proposal is geographically broad in scale, including whether it crosses over multiple council and other jurisdiction boundaries, or impacts a wide area beyond one local government area;

¢ whether the proposal is complex, unique or multi-faceted and requires specialist expertise or State coordinated assessment, including where councils require or request State assistance.

The Guideline and other supporting information can be accessed from here.