The NSW Planning System Reimagined
Jim Betts and Sarah Hill
July 9 2019
Doltone House
Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
12.30pm – 2.00pm
The Urban Taskforce hosted an Industry Lunch in Sydney on 9 July 2019, “The NSW Planning System Reimagined” with guest speakers Jim Betts, Secretary Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, and Dr. Sarah Hill, Deputy Secretary, Strategic Directions and Integration, DPIE; CEO Greater Sydney Commission. Following their presentations, Mr Betts and Ms Hill participated in a panel discussion and Q&A moderated by Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. The discussion focused on a number of key areas, including cultural reform of the planning industry, breaking down silos between government agencies, managing the impacts of climate change and drought, and collaboration with communities and local government.
Thank you to both our speakers, our guests and event sponsor Urbis
About the Speakers
Jim Betts, Secretary, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Jim Betts is the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, which holds key responsibilities within the New South Wales Government for long-term planning, infrastructure priorities, natural resources, the environment, energy and growing the State’s industries.
Jim joined the Department of Planning and Industry in 2019, following almost six years as the Chief Executive Officer at Infrastructure NSW and five years as the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Transport.
As part of his role at Infrastructure NSW, Jim led the development of the 2014 State Infrastructure Strategy Update and the 2018 State Infrastructure Strategy, which provided over 200 project and policy recommendations to Government. He also chaired the Infrastructure Investor Assurance Committee, which monitors and advises on almost 500 infrastructure projects across government.
Sarah Hill RPIA (Fellow)
PhD (G), M.Urban & Regional Planning (Hons) (USYD), BSc (USYD), Cert. UK Planning Law & Practice, RPIA (Fellow), MRTPI, MAICD, JP.
Sarah commenced as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Sydney Commission in January 2016.
Following extensive engagement with the community, Sarah led the organisation in developing the Commission’s vision for ‘a metropolis of three cities’ into the Greater Sydney Region Plan and five District Plans adopted by the NSW Government in March 2018.
The Commission has also implemented the “10 Directions for Greater Sydney”, Collaboration Areas, Growth Infrastructure Compacts and completed the original 24 Ministerial Priorities.
Previously, as a Director of Hill PDA Consulting, Sarah specialised as an economic planner with expertise in employment areas and the economics of development. Sarah also was an independent advisor to government on planning reform and was a member of the NSW Government’s 2012 Affordable Housing Taskforce.
She has prior experience in the UK working on affordable housing strategies and the creation of a new planning authority known as the London Olympic and Paralympic Joint Planning Authority responsible for the master-planning and approvals for the London 2012 Olympic Games and its Legacy.
A past-President of the NSW Division of the Planning Institute of Australia, 2016-17 PIA Planner of the Year and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Sarah has received two international planning awards including the Mayor of London’s Award for Excellence and the Royal Town Planning Institute Award for Planning.
Sarah is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology Sydney in the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building and in 2018 completed her Doctoral thesis on the economics of planning in NSW.