Improving the planning system

Considering heritage matters when approving development ensures that the community's heritage resources are protected for the future. New changes to the planning system aim to streamline and simplify this process. Integrated Development Approval (IDA) will affect development proposals for heritage items protected by Permanent or Interim Conservation Orders under the NSW Heritage Act, 1997.

The present means of controlling forms of development is criticised by both developers and conservationists. Both believe the process is cumbersome and unwieldy - it's almost as if the planning system was designed to fail.

In a way it was. The Wran government was so keen to honour its 1976 election pledge to act on heritage protection that it introduced legislation the following year that was originally part of a broader planning bill. For the last two decades heritage controls and local planning approval processes have run along separate tracks.

In his heritage policy two years ago the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, the Hon. Craig Knowles, announced that the system needed to change. Those changes have now happened in a program called Integrated Development Assessment (IDA).

Two applications for approval of changes to items protected by the Heritage Act must still be made, but the order of approvals has been changed. Previously, the owner first made an application to the Heritage Council under s60 of the Heritage Act. Now the order of approvals has been swapped so that the Development Application (DA) to the local council must be submitted first.

Under the new IDA arrangements the local council refers a copy of the DA to other State agencies and incorporates their requirements in the DA consent. For applicants this means greater certainty, as the requirements of all approval authorities are incorporated into the DA consent upfront.

Once the council has referred a copy of the DA to the Heritage Council, the Heritage Council must provide advice to the council within 51 days of lodgment. This period includes time for advertisement and public submissions on the proposal.

If the Heritage Council or its delegate recommends refusal of the application on heritage grounds, then the local council must also refuse it.

In an additional improvement to the system, the Heritage Council has approved the delegation of its approval powers to the Director of the Heritage Office or the Chair of the Heritage Council.

For State items in Broken Hill or North Sydney, those two councils will have the power to make decisions on the Council's behalf. The Heritage Council will progressively delegate similar powers to other local councils which have a comparable level of staff expertise and a proven track record in heritage management.

The new IDA arrangements came into effect on 1 July.

The Heritage Office has prepared an IDA package to assist applicants with the type of information that could be included with a DA submitted to council. To request a copy, contact the Heritage Office on (02) 9635 6155.