Changes to Regulation made to reflect Premier's mandate
02 July 2020
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Planning Portal) Regulation 2020 came into effect this week.
This Regulation has introduced some important changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 - many as a result of the implementation of the Premier’s mandate.
These amendments make the use of the NSW Planning Portal mandatory for the lodgement of certain planning applications (in particular, development applications including modifications, applications for complying development certificates (CDCs) and for certificates under Part 6 of the EP&A Act), the assessment of those applications, as well as the issue of any relevant consents, CDCs and certificates.
Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Planning Portal) Regulation 2020
The NSW Government is committed to delivering effective, efficient and transparent planning services through the NSW Planning Portal and the current ePlanning Program proposes to further drive the digital transformation of all planning services by implementing an expanded digital services platform.
The use of the Portal in this manner will make it easier for the public and government agencies to interact with each other and the planning system.
About the Premier's Mandate
In November 2019 the Premier announced ePlanning Digital Services would become mandatory for certain councils in 2020.
In March 2020, Minister Rob Stokes and Minister Victor Dominello outlined how the mandate would be implemented.
Councils and registered certifiers in the Sydney Metropolitan, Illawarra, Central Coast and Newcastle areas have been instructed to use the ePlanning Digital Services from 1 July 2020, and to process 100 per cent of planning applications this way from 31 December 2020.
More recently, six regional councils and the registered certifiers in these Local Government Areas were added to this list as part of the Department’s response to COVID-19.
These regions include Coffs Harbour, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens and Tweed Shire.
The remaining 80 regional councils, and registered certifers in those local government areas, are to commence using the ePlanning Digital Services from 1 January 2021, and are to process 100 per cent of planning applications this way from 1 July 2021.