RADICAL changes proposed for the state’s planning system to be revealed within weeks are set to include measures to curb the role of local government councillors in refusing or approving developments.
The Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard, has revealed his concerns that local government councillors often determine developments according to what suits their personal political interests rather than on the merits of the proposal.
For the second day in a row, Mr Hazzard addressed a developer lobby group to discuss the green paper to be released next month which will outline a new planning system for the state likely to become law early in the new year.
Mr Hazzard told an Urban Taskforce lunch he believes local government councillors should be involved in setting planning frameworks for their area but should have no role in assessing individual developments.
I am pleased to here that Councillors will no longer have the power to determine development applications under the new planning system. However, I don’t believe that handing the decision-making power to planning panels is the answer.
Instead, we should take the lead from the Courts and have a group of unafilliated, randomly-selected citizens come together to consider the merits of the proposal and make a decision. That way decisions are more likely to be impartial and representative of the ordinary citizen.