Time to end the planning mess: Parliament to debate new statewide planning scheme this week

It’s time to end the planning mess, so that we can unlock Tasmania’s economic potential and create jobs.

This week, Parliament will debate the Government’s proposed laws to create a single, state-wide planning scheme and clean up the mess.

The intersection of two planning schemes at Mt Leslie Road roundabout on Westbury Road highlights exactly what we are trying to fix. Mt Leslie Road runs between two local council areas, with different planning schemes applying on each side of the road, while Westbury Road travels straight through both of these schemes.

You could be working on identical developments within metres of each other just across the street and you would have to deal with two different sets of rules. This is not the fault of councils, it’s the fault of do-nothing Labor and Labor-Green Governments that have put us in this position.

Currently, there is only 15 per cent consistency across the 29 councils in the three regional areas.

Under the new laws, there will be around 80 percent consistency state-wide, providing more clarity and certainty for everyone.

This is all about creating a planning system that is faster, fairer, simpler and cheaper. A planning system that encourages more economic development and job creation.
One state-wide planning system will provide confidence for those looking to invest and expand.

It means housing providers, developers, designers, planners, and builders who operate across different council areas from Bicheno to Queenstown, Devonport to Dover, will not need to use a set of different rules for the same zones in each locality.

Over the past year, the Government, in partnership with the Planning Reform Taskforce, has undertaken a redesign of the way the planning system operates in Tasmania. We are fixing the mess that Labor and the Greens created and were not prepared to tackle.

The Taskforce has representatives from major stakeholders including the TFGA, the Master Builders’ Association, the HIA and the Local Government Association as well as individuals with extensive planning and legal experience.

The legislation has been widely consulted with the community and we will continue to consult widely on the schedules under the legislation that will give final effect to planning reforms across the State.

If Parliament passes the new laws, the new planning system will be up and running in full in 2017, one year ahead of schedule.
Peter Gutwein, Minister for Planning and Local Government