What kinds of development do Regional Panels determine?
How do Regional Panels operate?
Step-by-step process
Download the Full Operational Procedures
What kinds of development do Regional Panels determine?
The Regional Panels make decisions on regionally significant developments, which include:
- Designated development
- Development with a capital investment value (CIV) over $10 million
- The following development with a CIV over $5 million:
- Certain public and private infrastructure
- Crown development
- Development where council is the proponent or has a conflict of interest
- Ecotourism
- Subdivision of land into more than 250 lots
- Certain coastal developments previously assessed as Major Projects to be determined by the Minister under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act (EP&A Act).
Regional Panels will not determine proposals for the above classes of regional development if they are:
- Development that are Major Projects to be determined by the Minister (that is, under Part 3A of the EP&A Act)
- Complying development
- Development that does not require consent (including exempt development and development to which Part 5 applies)
- Development where the consent authority is not the council (including where the Minister is the consent authority)
- Development within the City of Sydney local government area.
Details of projects that are determined by Joint Regional Planning Panels can be found in the Major Developments State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Developments SEPP).
How do Regional Panels operate?
Councils assess development applications (DAs) that are regionally significant. The council officer’s assessment report and recommendations will then be referred to the Regional Panel to make its determination.
Step-by-step process
The Environmental Planning and Assessment (EP&A) Act states that councils are to fund appeals to a decision. There is provision for the Minister for Planning to receive submissions from council to share costs in exceptional circumstances.