An appallingly bad proposal to give developers flexibility over environmental standards for all urban areas in NSW is condemned by Total Environment Centre.  The proposed Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) must go back to the drawing board.

‘’All urban areas in NSW are impacted and important issues like climate change, tree retention and canopy, green energy, biodiversity and resilience are left to developers and their consultants to assess and decide.  It also opens up the opportunity for developers to mount many more court cases to appeal council decisions,’’ said Jeff Angel, Director of the Centre. 

‘’The policy is a major threat to the standards we all want for environment protection in our urban areas.  It junks standards that developers must meet, replacing them with ‘’flexibility’’ and ‘’matters for consideration’’.

‘’I can only call it planning drivel.  One of the worst attacks on essential requirements for a liveable and sustainable city I have ever seen from a NSW government.  This proposed policy surrenders our environment and liveability to the private sector. It’s an abrogation of responsibility by the state government to present and future generations.’’

‘’We will be campaigning against this proposal and I am sure many other groups are similarly becoming increasingly agitated,’’ Mr Angel said.

Briefing document here.