What is a Planning Proposal?

A Planning Proposal (PP), also known as a rezoning, is a strategic planning proposal to amend a Local Environmental Plan (LEP) which governs land use and development for all land in NSW.

A Planning Proposal can often propose to rezone land, amend the development standards such as height, floor space ratio (FSR), minimum subdivision lot size or introduce an ‘additional permitted use’ for specific land.

What are the types of Planning Proposals?

There are 3 main types of Planning Proposals as detailed below:

State-led rezonings: large-scale areas or precincts with strategic imperative or complexities. These are identified and managed directly by the Department of Planning.
State-assessed rezoning proposals: applicant initiated sites of state planning significance, or proposals that have been delayed in the planning system.
Local planning proposal: applicant initiated planning proposals for sites or areas submitted to Council.

What are the Categories?

There are 4 main categories of Planning Proposals as detailed below:

Planning Proposal Categories

What is the Process?

The typical Planning Proposal is undertaken over 6 stages as detailed below:

A landowner, developer or an individual can apply to change the zoning or development standards to land and may initiate a Planning Proposal.

This process involves a number of steps that is described in the flowchart below:

What is the Timeframe?

A Planning Proposal is a complex strategic planning process that takes time to prepare and go through the assessment process. The below is an indication of the average and expected timeframe for Planning Proposals:

What Consultants will be involved?

The types of consultants that would be required for a Planning Proposal depend on the type, category and complexity. A Planning Proposal is required to address key ‘Directions’ set by the Secretary which cover the following areas and generally are useful to identify what consultants would be required to be engaged for a Planning Proposal:

Biodiversity and Conservation
- Conservation Zones.
- Heritage Conservation
- Sydney Drinking Water Catchments
- Application of C2 and C3 Zones and Environmental Overlays in Far North Coast LEPs
- Recreation Vehicle Areas
- Strategic Conservation Planning
- Public Bushland
- Willandra Lakes Region.
- Sydney Harbour Foreshores and Waterways Area
- Water Catchment Protection
Resilience and Hazards
- Flooding
- Coastal Management.
- Planning for Bushfire Protection
- Remediation of Contaminated Land
- Acid Sulfate Soils
- Mine Subsidence and Unstable Land
Transport and Infrastructure.
- Integrating Land Use and Transport
- Reserving Land for Public Purposes
- Development Near Regulated Airports and Defence Airfields
- Shooting Ranges
- High Pressure Dangerous Goods Pipelines
Housing
- Residential Zones
- Caravan Parks and Manufactured Home Estates
Industry and Employment
- Employment Zones
- Reduction in non-hosted short-term rental accommodation period
Resources and Energy
- Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries
Primary Production
- Rural Zones
- Rural Lands
- Oyster Aquaculture
- Farmland of State and Regional Significance on the NSW Far North Coast

Of course not all of the above would be relevant to every Planning Proposal but this is an indication of what could form a list of relevant consultants.

What are the costs?

The cost of preparing and applying for a Planning Proposal varies depending on the type, category, complexity and involvement of other consultants, as well as the relevant Council. As a guide, the preparation and lodgement of a Planning Proposal can cost upwards of $100,000.