New South Wales Department of Planning

New South Wales Department of Planning and Infrastructure
Department overview
Formed	March 2011
Preceding Department	Department of Planning
Jurisdiction	New South Wales
Headquarters	23-33 Bridge Street, Sydney[1]
Employees	550 (2010) as Department of Planning
Annual budget	A$119 million (2010) as Department of Planning
Minister responsible	Hon. Brad Hazzard MP, Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
Department executive	Sam Haddad, Director-General
Parent Department	Department of Premier and Cabinet
Child agencies	Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Central Coast Regional Development Corporation Office of Strategic Lands Hunter Development Corporation Luna Park Reserve Trust
Website
http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/

The New South Wales Department of Planning and Infrastructure, a department of the New South Wales Government, is responsibile for the long-term planning for the regions of New South Wales and driving well-located housing and employment land. The Department is also responsible for assessing significant development proposals and ensuring the planning system is efficient and effective.

The Department is led by its Director-General, Sam Haddad, who reports to the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Minister Assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW, the Honourable Brad Hazzard MP.

The Department's powers are drawn from the New South Wales Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.^[2]

Overview

In May 2009, the Department established three divisions focussing on key activities in planning – land release, urban renewal and major project assessment. A fourth division focuses on corporate governance and policy development. The following executive team has been selected to operate from May 18, 2009:

Deputy Directors-General

• Plan Making & Urban Renewal – Tom Gellibrand (previously Deputy General Manager Strategy at the Growth Centres Commission)
• Development Assessments – Richard Pearson (previously Department of Planning Rural and Regional Planning Executive Director)
• Strategies and Land Release – Ian Reynolds (previously General Manager Operations at the Growth Centres Commission)

Executive Directors

• Corporate Governance & Policy – Donna Rygate (previously Deputy Director-General Strategy, Communications and Governance at the Department of Community Services)
• Strategy & Infrastructure Planning – Andrew Jackson (previously Principal Advisor, Urban Planning at NSW Treasury)
• Land Release – Robert Black (previously Deputy General Manager Land Release at the Growth Centres Commission)
• Planning Operations – Neil McGaffin (previously Department of Planning Southern Region Regional Director)
• Urban Renewal & Major Sites – Giovanni Cirillo (previously Director City Planning and Regulatory Services at the City of Sydney Council)
• Major DA Assessment – Chris Wilson (previously Department of Planning Major Projects Assessments Executive Director)
• Assessments Systems, General Counsel – Marcus Ray (previously Department of Planning Legal Services Director)

Priorities

The Department's priorities are:^[3]

• Promoting and facilitating sustainable growth
• Supporting affordable and appropriately-serviced housing and employment land
• Assessing major projects and infrastructure in a timely and efficient way, while ensuring appropriate planning outcomes
• Planning to help mitigate climate change
• Improving service delivery to New South Wales communities and stakeholders
• Implementing reforms to create a more efficient, transparent and accountable planning system and importantly, the communication of these reforms.

The department employs over 500 staff.

Ancillary functions

In addition to its core planning responsibilities, the Department administers a number of State Government programs and properties including:

• BASIX - an energy and water savings scheme for new housing stock;

• the Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2005 - determining conditions for future development at Callan Park in inner Sydney;

• the Western Sydney Parklands - a major regional park stretching from northwest to southwest Sydney; and

• Smoke alarms - State laws mandating the installation of smoke alarms in all NSW homes.^[4]

History

The Department was established in October 2005 when the former New South Wales Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources was disamalgamated. Between 2005 and 2011, the department was known as the New South Wales Department of Planning. Following the 2011 state election, the current name was adopted for the department and the functions of the Department's heritage branch moved to the Office of Environment and Heritage.^[3]

References

1. ^ "About us: Contact us". Department of Planning and Infrastructure. Government of New South Wales. 2011. http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/SettingtheDirection/Contactus/tabid/66/language/en-US/Default.aspx. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
2. ^ "NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act". Parliament of New South Wales. 1979. http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/inforce/act+203+1979+FIRST+0+N/. Retrieved 5 May 2007. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "About us: Our structure". Department of Planning and Infrastructure. Government of New South Wales. 2011. http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/SettingtheDirection/OurStructure/tabid/94/language/en-US/Default.aspx. Retrieved 20 November 2011. 
4. ^ "Smoke alarms". NSW Department of Planning. May 2006. http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/smokealarms/index.asp. Retrieved 2007-05-05. 

External links

• NSW Department of Planning Website
• City of Cities – A Plan for Sydney's Future
• Urban planning in Australia