Yesterday the Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure released their March newsletter entitled Planning Ahead. 

It includes a short article that announces that the release of the long-awaited People and Neighbourhoods Discussion Paper will be postponed until the release of the draft Planning and Design Code. In its place will be a ‘suite of materials’ that will be discussed ONLY with councils and ‘practitioners’.

This is a serious setback for the protection of heritage and even worse for genuine community consultation and engagement. Community Alliance has written to the Minister for Planning to clarify what these changes mean to the consultation process with our communities. Our letter to the Minister is attached below.

190328 Letter to Minister for Planning re People and Neighbourhoods Discussion Paper

A BIG thanks to member groups who wrote submissions to the ‘Development Assessment Regulations and Practice Directions’. Fortunately, members of Community Alliance were given an extension to 15 March and we were able to include nine fantastic submissions in our ‘bundle’.

It was not an easy job for our community groups who rely soley on volunteers to undertake this very complex and demanding work.  In contrast, lobby groups for the property industry  have the benefit of paid staff to do their bidding.

Our members pointed out many issues that require attention in their submissions, including risks to significant trees, the continuing arbitrary referral of larger developments to the State Planning Commission, virtually no demolition controls for single storey buildings, automatic deemed consent for delayed planning decisions, further loss of representation rights, reduced assessment timeframes amongst others.

You can view our member submissions on our website via the ‘Resources/Useful Information’ tab.  You can also have a look at what other organisations and individuals have submitted by going to the DPTI website . To see them, you’ll have to scroll down and click on ‘View Closed Consultations’, and then click on ‘Development Assessment Regulations’.

There is still a long road ahead with the planning reforms that are being implemented very quickly. Phase One of the new Planning and Design Code is out for consultation now until 29 March.  This is for the ‘Outback’ areas, land not within a council area.  However it also includes the sea, so the title of the document is a bit misleading. To view the Community Guide to this document, go to the DPTI website here. If anyone would like to include any points in the Community Alliance submission, please email Tom Matthews at sa.community.alliance@gmail.com.

Community Alliance members have been granted an extension to 15 March for submission on the planning regulations- as long they are included in our ‘bundle’.

The City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters have done an excellent submission, and the paper outlining the main issues is attached below. This can be a resource when you think about what is important to your communities and want to see addressed. (much more detail is available on the Councils website npsp.sa.gov – council agenda for 4 March)

Community Alliance will also be writing a submission, which will be considered by the Committee next Thursday before it goes out to members for feedback.

Your individual submissions do not have to be long, just a few poignant dot points will suffice. They can come from individuals as well as member groups. It’s important to have as many submissions as possible to make sure ordinary residents have as much say as the developers do.

Onwards!

NPSP March Agenda Item 11.1 Planning Regulations