Implementation of State Government planning reforms to business and industrial zones

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment is currently exhibiting the proposed translation of existing Business and Industrial zones into the new Employment zones.  The exhibition is being held on the Department’s Planning Portal for 6 weeks from 31 May 2022 to 12 July.

This is the implementation stage of State Government reforms to the planning system that replaces Business and Industrial zones with Employment zones. This State government led change affects the local planning controls of all Councils across NSW.

Please note, this is a State Government run public exhibition process. To view the detail of the exhibition and make a submission, please visit the Department’s Planning Portal, and for general information on the reform process, visit their Employment Zones Reform webpage.

Background

The implementation of these reforms follows the introduction the Employment zones within the Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 in December 2021. This has the effect of amending all LEPs in the State to include these new zones, and all LEPs must be amended to translate existing business and industrial zones into the new employment zones by 1 December 2022.

Council made a submission opposing these planning reforms when they were exhibited in June 2021 because of their impact on local place based planning. This submission and the associated Council report is available to view in the document library on this page, as well as a separate letter sent by Council to the then Minister for Planning and Public Space, the Hon Rob Stokes MP, raising concerns with the proposed reforms.

Following the introduction of these reforms, the NSW Department of Planning required all Councils to review how their existing business and industrial zones would be translated into the new employment zones. A report on this translation was considered by Council at the 29 March 2022 meeting, and a draft translation of LEP 2015 into the new framework was endorsed. This is available to view in the document library on this page. This draft translation forms the basis for their public exhibition material.

Further information

If you have any questions on the public exhibition, please contact the NSW Department of Planning and Environment directly on 1300 420 596 or by email at employment.zones@planning.nsw.gov.au.

For questions about the background of these State Government reforms and on the Council’s advocacy and reporting on this matter, please contact Council’s City Planning team on 4780 5000 or by email to council@bmcc.nsw.gov.au.

Process from here

After the public exhibition, the NSW Department of Planning will be working with councils to finalise implementation ahead of the new zones coming into force on 1 December 2022. Council will work to ensure that all matters raised in submissions by the community are appropriately considered by the State Government.