Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
Parliament of New South Wales
  • An Act to institute a system of environmental planning and assessment for the State of New South Wales.
Citation1979 No. 203
Passed byParliament of New South Wales
Passed22 November 1979
Assented to byGovernor Roden Cutler
Assented to21 December 1979
Administered byDepartment of Planning and Environment
Legislative history
Bill titleEnvironmental Planning and Assessment Bill 1979
Introduced byWilliam Haig
Introduced13 November 1979
Status: Current legislation

The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 is an Act of the New South Wales Parliament.

It is an "Act to institute a system of environmental planning and assessment for the State of New South Wales".

Parts of the Act

The Act covers the entire spectrum of environmental assessment and was divided into 11 Parts.

  • Part 1 - Preliminary
  • Part 2 - Administration
  • Part 2A - Planning Bodies
  • Part 3 - Environmental Planning Instruments
  • Part 3B - Strategic Planning
  • Part 4 - Development Assessment
  • Part 4A - Certification Of Development
  • Part 4C - Liability And Insurance
  • Part 5 - Environmental Assessment
  • Part 6 - Implementation And Enforcement
  • Part 7 - Finance
  • Part 7A - Liability In Respect Of Contaminated Land
  • Part 8 - Miscellaneous

It was amended in November 2017 by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 2017 (commenced on 1 March 2018), and is now divided into 10 Parts.[1]

  • Part 1 - Preliminary
  • Part 2 - Planning Administration
  • Part 3 - Planning Instruments
  • Part 4 - Development Assessment And Consent
  • Part 5 - Infrastructure And Environmental Impact Assessment
  • Part 6 - Building And Subdivision Certification
  • Part 7 - Infrastructure Contributions And Finance
  • Part 8 - Reviews And Appeals
  • Part 9 - Implementation And Enforcement
  • Part 10 – Miscellaneous

Controversy over Part 3A

The Act gained considerable controversy with the introduction of section 3A that effectively allowed the Planning Minister to declare a project as of “State significance” and assume direct approval delegation.[2] Although it was introduced to streamline the planning process and fast track the assessment of large infrastructure projects, a public perception of its misuse was a significant factor in the defeat of the Keneally government.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979". www.planning.nsw.gov.au. NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024.
  2. ^ admin (5 March 2012). "So what exactly is part 3A?". saverozelle.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.