NSW Pushes New Planning Law That Could Bypass Oversight

In New South Wales (Australia), planners and critics are locked in a tense battle. The state government has introduced a new planning bill promising to speed up development approvals. But opponents fear it opens doors to unchecked power and environmental bypasses.

The proposed “targeted development assessment” pathway would allow certain major projects—mines, infrastructure, wind farms—to proceed without standard environmental impact assessments. Environmental lawyers and civil groups, like the Environmental Defenders Office, warn this could lean too heavily toward profit and project delivery at the expense of local communities.

At the same time, the bill recasts “community welfare” considerations, placing economic productivity front and center in decision making. A new Development Coordination Authority is also introduced, consolidating approvals under the planning secretary. Critics call this a centralization of power—and a recipe for exclusion of public voice.

Supporters argue the changes are targeted to low-risk housing developments and meant to unclog bureaucratic delays. But it’s hard to ignore the broader implications. Would future projects be shielded from scrutiny? Could communities lose the right to meaningful input?

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