The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has just released its new statewide Community Participation Plan, after having undertaken community consultation in May. The new plan supersedes existing state agency and local government Community Participation Plans and outlines the consultation requirements for changes to state planning frameworks, strategic plans and development assessments.
 
Shelter NSW was pleased to notice that the Department incorporated a couple of our recommendations into their final plan, extending the minimum exhibition period for residential state significant developments to 28 days once again, as well as removing residential flat buildings and shop top housing from the list of public exhibition exempt developments. Shelter NSW is also supportive of the extension of minimum exhibition times for more significant planning proposals such as local environment plan amendments and local strategic planning statements.
 
However, the Department has also decided to greatly extend its list of developments exempt from public exhibition to now include bed and breakfast accommodation, dwelling houses and dual occupancies up to two storeys, multi-dwellings and attached dwellings up five storeys, the subdivision of land in no more than five new lots and tree removal on private land. The full list and new plan can be viewed here.

While Shelter can empathise with an intent to remove unnecessary consultations in the planning system, given the potential impacts of developments like 5 storey multi-dwellings and changes of land use on local communities, we are not convinced that the Department has struck the right balance.
 
Moreover, shorter minimum exhibition periods alone will not lead to better development. We encourage the Department to adequately resource consent authorities to engage in proper community consultation, particularly for high impact developments. Best practice for engagement with communities with lower levels of English literacy, as well as communities facing disadvantage, should be established and implemented. Thorough and meaningful engagement with all communities can prevent delays and community opposition into the future as community members feel a sense of agency over the direction of development.
 
Similarly, the Department has outlined its commitment to facilitating community consultation that is ‘open and inclusive, easy to access, and meaningful.’ Shelter NSW encourages the Department to assess consent agencies against these outcomes for significant planning proposals.
 
Shelter NSW commends its supporters and sector partners in their contributions to this new Community Participation Plan, so that community engagement can remain a meaningful part of the planning and development process.