A set of principles on how our planning systems should operate during COVID-19 has been agreed on following a meeting between the planning ministers from every State and Territory, the President of the Australian Local Government Association and Federal Cities and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge.

Speaking about the current climate, Mr Tudge said swift changes to planning regimes were necessary to ensure development applications could still be approved at their usual pace and other planning regulations should be amended to deal with the twin health and economic crises.

"Changes will be made on a State by State basis, but the principles are designed to ensure the community can still have confidence in our planning systems," he said.

"Amendments to our planning systems will ensure that governments and the development community can support the economic recovery effort.

Land use planning principles during the COVID-19 pandemic - At a glance:

• Decision making in the public interest is a paramount theme in all planning systems and this must continue as a guiding consideration.
• Transparency for stakeholders about changes to systems and particular decisions.
• Decisions made within jurisdictions are consistent, where possible.
• Consideration of the level of public interest in a particular planning change or development proposal.
• Balancing administrative and legal review rights with the need to address the pandemic emergency and to assist community and economic recovery.
• All reasonable effort is made to maintain the usual pace of planning approvals recognising, as far as practical, community consultation will continue through new forms of communication recognising social distancing requirements.

"We have also committed to develop and adopt lessons learnt throughout this time including through the use of technology and other planning processes, response to future emergency events, sharing of information between jurisdictions and improvements to planning systems for potential ongoing implementation once we return to business as usual."

Ministers agreed to review the principles in June 2020 to ensure they are still fit-for-purpose to support the economic recovery phase.

Mr Tudge said ensuring building and construction activity, and other vital sectors of our economy, could continue to operate at as close to normal levels as possible while meeting public and workplace health and safety requirements would "ensure our economic slow-down is not as severe, and we can more quickly bounce back".

Property Council of Australia Chief Executive Ken Morrison said the principles agreed by state and territory planning ministers struck the right balance between keeping the planning system working so that projects were not unduly held up while also maintaining the integrity of planning approvals.

“Keeping building and construction activity going as close to normal levels as possible during the pandemic and having projects in the pipeline for the recovery phase must be a national economic priority,” he said.

Click here to view the full Communique from the meeting.

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