16 December 2010
The NSW Government has published a new State Environmental Planning Policy (Urban Renewal) 2010. The SEPP will apply to “potential precincts” which are the areas that the Government suggests are right for renewal.
Maps identifying these areas have been produced which generally show potential precincts in the area currently managed by the Redfern-Waterloo Authority; the Grandville town centre and surrounds and an area centered about Honeysuckle Drive in Newcastle.
Apparently this new SEPP aims to establish a process for assessing and identifying sites as urban renewal precincts and then “facilitate” redevelopment in these locations to achieve desired urban renewal objectives.
The SEEP says that the Director-General must undertake a study to determine whether a potential precinct should be developed as an urban renewal precinct and what the appropriate land use and development controls for the precinct should be.
If a development application to carry out development on land within a potential precinct that involves subdivision, or has a capital investment value of more than $5 million, the consent authority must not grant development consent unless it is satisfied that the proposed development is consistent with the objective of developing the potential precinct for the purposes of urban renewal. That is, the consent authority is to consider whether or not the proposed development is likely to restrict or prevent:
- development of the potential precinct for higher density housing or commercial or mixed development;
- the future amalgamation of sites for the purpose of any such development within the potential precinct;
- access to, or development of, infrastructure, other facilities and public domain areas associated with existing and future public transport in the potential precinct.
However, the SEPP does not change the identity of the consent authority.
There maps identifying these areas for Redfern, Granville and Newcastle.
The new SEPP is here.
The Government’s media release is here.
