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Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 4 March 2005 GOVERNMENT GRANTS AVAILABLE TO HELP COUNCILS IMPROVE PLANNING The Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Craig Knowles, has called for Expressions of Interest from local councils for State government grants to help them improve local planning.
“Local environmental plans are developed by councils to guide local planning decisions. They set out zonings and development controls which tell the community how land can be used,” said Mr Knowles.
“Having clear and updated LEPs makes planning easier to understand and cuts down on the time required to assess new projects.
'Local government is instrumental in planning the future of local communities, and this is a complex and sometimes difficult task.
“The NSW Government has recently announced strong and detailed plans to reform the planning system.
“As part of these plans the priority this year will be to provide support to councils which need to complete new LEPs in the next three years.
“This includes councils in high growth regions such as the Far North Coast, the Lower Hunter, South Coast and Sydney metropolitan area, councils with old planning instruments and recently amalgamated councils,” Mr Knowles said.
Mr Knowles said that under previous rounds of funding the Government had already provided $5.8 million to local councils across the State.
Types of initiatives that may receive funding in this third round include: - proposals to modernise planning instruments - joint projects with councils addressing issues such as regional infrastructure, management of rural lands, foreshore protection, and salinity - biodiversity and threatened species mapping as part of the new certification process for new LEPs.
Mr Knowles said that the State Government was also working with local councils on developing a ‘standard’ LEP.
“Creating a standard LEP is all about cutting red-tape out of the NSW planning system.
“We will soon be putting a draft standard LEP template on exhibition for councils and the community to comment on.
“Ultimately, we want to see a template introduced that will ensure that it doesn’t matter where in NSW you go to, you will be able to clearly and quickly understand what rules apply and where.
“Greater clarity and certainty will mean less red-tape and faster processing of plans,” Mr Knowles said.
Further details about planning reform funding, and the standard LEP template are available from the DIPNR website, www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au.
Information on application requirements can be obtained from DIPNR regional offices.
© NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources
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