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NEW PLANNING BACKDOWN BY GOVERNMENT

News Release Tuesday 16th May 2000

The Minister for Planning, John Thwaites, has belatedly responded to criticism from the Opposition and community groups by introducing an interim change to planning rules to recognise neighbourhood character.

This follows the Government's backdown last week in amending its Planning and Environment Bill to close a loophole exposed by the Opposition in April which would have allowed the facades of potential heritage buildings to be demolished without reference to local Councils.

Under the Government's latest change, "neighbourhood character" is to be recognised as part of State planning policy, which must be considered in deciding planning applications.

The Shadow Minister for Planning, Robert Clark, says that the change is a belated recognition by the Government of the need for interim measures to be put in place while the Government develops its new Residential Code.

"However, the change falls far short of the interim protections which are needed.

"As far back as November last year, I pointed out in Parliament that the Government ought to introduce specific interim protections on aspects such as setbacks, overshadowing and visual bulk. [See Hansard, 10 November 1999, p.229]

"There has now been significant delay in development of the Government's new Residential Code. It was due to be prepared by mid-year, but it is now unlikely to be in place until the end of the year at the earliest.

"In the meantime, development applications are continuing to be decided under the old rules, even though both sides of politics proposed significant changes to these rules in their election policies last year.

"Referring to "neighbourhood character" in a broad policy document may be fine as a statement of principle, but it needs to be translated into clear and specific rules on matters such as setbacks, overshadowing and visual bulk so as to provide definite protection to residents and greater certainty for developers.

"The Minister also needs to explain why it has taken him six months to introduce this modest change, which he could just as easily have introduced last November."

Mr Clark said that, combined with last week's backdown on the heritage demolition issue, this belated change was further evidence that the Minister is struggling to cope with the demands of his Planning portfolio.