Media Release

18 June 2020

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NSW Labor has questioned why it took a pandemic to force the Berejiklian Government to help speed up local government planning decisions.

The NSW Liberals and Nationals recently announced councils could make use of the government’s Planning System Acceleration Program to fast-track projects in an effort to boost jobs.

However, Shadow Minister for Planning and Better Living, Adam Searle, warned standards could be compromised because no additional resources were allocated to support councils.

“We support finding ways to improve decision making, but it cannot come at the cost of applying proper standards” — Adam Searle MLC, Shadow Minister for Planning and Better Living

“The Government wants local councils to do more work without providing the extra resources they’ll need,” he said.

Shadow Minister for Local Government, Greg Warren, said it shouldn’t take a pandemic for the government to do the right thing by councils.

“One of councils’ biggest gripes is the State government’s confusing and painfully slow planning system,” Mr Warren said.

“It halts local projects, prevents the creation of local jobs and stalls valuable investment in the local community.

“Why did it take a pandemic to force this government to do the right thing by councils and give them access to a program like this?”