12 April 2012
The NSW Treasury submission to the planning review demonstrates how important planning is to the states economy says the Urban Taskforce.
It is pleasing to see the involvement of economic agencies like the Productivity Commission, the Reserve Bank of Australia and now NSW treasury in commenting on planning systems in Australia. said Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson. The planning system can have a major impact on the nation and the states economy and its productivity.
The Treasury report indicates that the planning system has reduced housing supply, increased house price inflation, reduced economic growth through less efficient markets and reduced economic activity and therefore revenue to the state. These are serious issues that must be considered as being integral to the planning review.
There are many alignments with the Urban Taskforces submission to the review. A presumption for growth, involving communities early, the wider use of JRPPs, increased use of Code Assessable determinations, encouraging mixed use zoning and simplifying infrastructure levies are all issues we agree with Treasury on and were integral to the Taskforces submission.
It is telling that Treasury outline the current poor performance in NSW from the planning system including the collapse of private completions of dwellings by 45.5 per cent since 2000 while the rest of Australia increased completions by 22.5 per cent.
The Taskforce was also pleased to see that a number of our reports produced over recent years were referred to in the Treasury document.
It will be important that the economic portfolios in cabinet have a strong say in the future of the states planning system for NSW to begin moving back to being number one in Australia.
Link to Treasury Submission: http://www.planningreview.nsw.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=s0S5qGGKwiM%3d&tabid=119&mid=569
