Sydney’s new urban planning panel announced
A range of community and business leaders have been appointed to chair the Sydney Planning Panels and to help make decisions on major development proposals.
The new Planning Panel chairs are:
Carl Scully — Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel
Justin Doyle — Sydney Western City Planning Panel
Helen Lochhead — Sydney South Planning Panel
Peter Debnam — Sydney North Planning Panel
The overall chair of the Sydney Central Planning Panel is in the final stages of appointment and is expected to be determined in the coming weeks. In the interim other members of this Panel will act as the Chair.
The new chairs have been appointed because the roles of Sydney Planning Panel Chair and District Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission have been separated.
The Department of Planning and Environment’s executive director of Regions, Steve Murray, says the new Chairs will bring a high level of expertise to the panels.
“The separation of these roles will allow the district commissioners to focus on setting the strategic direction for their district through the Greater Sydney Commission’s district plans.”
“The new chairs will also be able to focus entirely on the detailed development proposals that come before them for decision by the planning panels.”
The projects they assess are valued over $20 million but from the 1st March, 2018 that threshold will be increased to $30 million.
The panels also act as the main planning authority in some decisions as directed by the minister for Planning or the Greater Sydney Commission, undertake rezoning reviews, and provide advice on planning and other development matters.
