The Community Environment Network (CEN) recently hosted a networking session to discuss the new Local Environment Plans that are rolling out across the State in an effort to standardise zonings and meanings across local government areas.
At the CEN’s meeting Gosford, Wyong and Lake Macquarie’s approaches to the LEP were presented and a real appreciation for the effort LMCC takes to protect the environment was evident in the comparison.
Gosford Council apparently has no clause to protect biodiversity, will not release maps to allow for community clarity on zonings and is indeed heading towards conservation lands being opened up for residential and recreational development, with 130 requests for rezoning lodged, many after the community submission period had closed.
Wyong Council is moving along with its plan identifying corridors, and fitting in with recently developed settlement strategy and North Wyong Shire structure plans. They are aiming to complete their LEP by June 2011 and have a draft LEP and zoning maps in place. They also had a process in place for residents if they wanted their property’s zoning considered for change.
Lake Macquarie City Council is a lot further along than its coastal cousins with the new LEP sitting with the Department of Planning awaiting comment to allow for community feedback.
The new LEP provided an opportunity to update LMCC’s vision documents to guide the Council upto to 2030. There are new visions that deal with population growth and land supply within the context of The Lower Hunter Regional Strategy, climate change and the impacts on sea level rise, an integrated 10 year community plan and the City’s global footprint.
Some of the deliberations that have arisen from the transition to the new LEP include matching existing environmental zonings to a reduced number of new environmental zones, the status that the lake will be given and investigation zones. The new LEP will provide a hierarchy of town centres e.g Wyee is B1,Toronto B2 ad Charlestown B3
The zoning for the Lake was put forward by LMCC as W1-natural waterway as it is a natural structure that is subject to natural processes. The Department of Planning would prefer a W2 zoning-recreational waterway, the same category as the man-made Penrith Lakes system. The community will be allowed to comment when the draft is released.
Along with the new LEP will be an updated version of the Development Control Plan to make the document more user friendly and mirror the automated version.
Some maps of local interest include the foreshore building line, flood control land and land acquisition. Maps for the proposed new LEP can be found at http://www.lakemac.com.au/page.aspx?pid=109&vid=10&fid=120&ftype=FGrp.
The Planning 2011 e-newsletter goes in to the details of the process to date http://lakemac.createsend.com/t/ViewEmailArchive/r/BD50F3A99F04EB39
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