This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE Minns government is boosting infrastructure funding to support 135,000 new homes forecast to be built across 12 NSW local government areas over the next decade, while new planning rules will allow for the state’s largest expansion of public pre-schools.
The State Voluntary Planning Agreement (SVPA) program, established in 2010, uses developer contributions to deliver state and regional infrastructure in growing areas. The latest round of the program will support projects in 12 local government areas across the Lower Hunter, Illawarra, North West and South West Growth Areas, Wollondilly and the Central Coast.
The $62.5 million in grants to councils and state agencies will go towards building and repairing roads, improving stormwater drainage, building new parks and improving local environments in growing communities.
Councils and state agencies from each area can now nominate projects for the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) to consider. Shortlisted projects will be assessed by an independent technical expert and reviewed by an internal DPHI review panel, with investment recommendations submitted to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces for approval.
Since the program’s launch, more than $220 million in contributions have been collected from developers and invested in 30 state and regional infrastructure projects supporting more than 70,000 new homes, according to the NSW government.
The government also announced yesterday that it will make changes to the transport and infrastructure State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) permitting new preschool buildings or preschools in existing buildings under complying development provisions.
Changes to this SEPP will permit the development of new preschool buildings or allow preschools to operate in existing buildings at all NSW public schools without the need for development applications.
The government said this will speed up the delivery of new preschools by up to eight months, and enable the Department of Education to phase the delivery of 100 new preschools over the next three years.
“The reforms to the planning system will make it quicker and easier to deliver public preschools in local schools,” Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully said.
“We are removing red tape in the planning system so that more children have the best possible start in their education journey.”
