Port Botany, Port Kembla and the Port of Newcastle are the three largest ports in NSW. These ports are recognised as state significant precincts due to their importance to the NSW and Australian economies.
The State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) Transport and Infrastructure 2021 – Chapter 5 Three Ports is the principal environmental planning instrument that sets the land use planning and assessment framework for appropriate development at the three ports.
The NSW Government has made changes to the SEPP to enable additional, essential, day-to-day development on land at the three ports, to be undertaken through a streamlined assessment pathway.
The amendments made include:
- identifying additional exempt and complying development within the lease areas of Port Botany, Port Kembla and Port of Newcastle
- identifying additional land within the Port Kembla and Port of Newcastle lease area
- rezoning land near Hale Street, Botany
- requiring the consent authority to consider impacts on port and industrial operations before approving the subdivision of land within the vicinity of the lease area
- introducing requirements to notify the port operator at Port Kembla and Port of Newcastle in relation to development that may affect the shipping channel
- ensuring the policy remains up to date and effective through housekeeping and operational amendments.
Changes to extend some complying development activities to be permitted on land within the Mayfield area, Port of Newcastle via the fast-track planning pathway have been informed by the preparation of a land use safety study.
- View the Overview Report of the safety study (PDF)
- The societal risk curve for the Mayfield Precinct (PDF)
The decision to not proceed with the proposal to rezone land at Wentworth Avenue, Botany was made in 2019 and stakeholders consulted at that time. This was in response to stakeholder feedback around this proposal.
An Explanation of Intended Effect outlining the proposed SEPP changes was exhibited in late 2018. A copy of these exhibition documents can be found below. Changes were made to the exhibited proposal in response to feedback received.