Who determines state significant infrastructure applications?
All critical state significant infrastructure (CSSI) projects are determined by the Minister for Planning.
The Minister is also the approval authority for state significant infrastructure (SSI) applications. However, the Minister may delegate the power to make decisions to senior department officers.
For more information about delegations please visit delegated decisions.
What is considered when making a decision?
The decision to approve or disapprove an SSI project is informed by:
- the assessment report, and any advice or reports within it
- advice from relevant Ministers, and
- any findings or recommendations of the Independent Planning Commission.
The Minister may approve the project, subject to modifications or conditions, or refuse it.
The Department’s best-practice approach to drafting conditions of approval for SSI applications is outlined in the Guideline for drafting conditions for State significant projects (2023).
How is the decision notified?
When the SSI application is determined the Department will:
- publish the decision on the NSW Planning Portal
- notify the proponent and anyone who made a submission
- give public notice of the reasons for the decision and how community views were considerd in making the decision.