Better Planning Network

The Better Planning Network and 432 affiliated groups want a responsible planning system for NSW, one that is driven by Ecologically Sustainable Development; has at its heart community wellbeing; protects our environment & heritage; minimises risks of corruption and respects the rights of communities to shape local planning & development decisions.

The Government's Planning Bills won't deliver the visionary planning system NSW needs. With the Upper House debate coming up in a few days' time NOW is the time to contact Upper House MPs to say NO to the NSW Government's Planning Bills!

The BPN has an easy email letter on their website which can quickly make your thoughts known to the powers that be.

This week the debate occurred and the Planning Bills were passed. 

from the Better Planning website...

On 27 November 2013, the NSW Upper House passed the amended NSW Planning Bill 2013 and NSW Planning Administration Bill 2013.  Govt, Labor, Christian Democrats and Shooters and Fishers MPs voted in support of these Bills.  The Greens NSW voted against these Bills.

Overall, the amended Bills passed by the Upper House are a missed opportunity for visionary reform and will not deliver good planning and development outcomes for communities across NSW.  The Bills are unfit for the 21st century.

The amended Bills will now need to be considered by the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) before they can become law.

You can email your views on the NSW Planning Bills to your local MP and Upper House members by clicking here.

Development on your doorstep...Would you want to know?

Planning Minister Brad Hazzard’s proposed new planning laws seeks to promote developer interests, with little concern for the wider public interest. It sidelines environmental considerations, and gives higher priority to economic matters. Community input to development decisions is significantly weakened, and avenues for ‘judicial review’ in the Land and Environment Court are reduced. 

The Better Planning Network is sponsoring an online petition requesting the NSW Government to withdraw its Planning Bills, and is seeking 50,000 signatures. 

The Better Planning Network has lots of information about the proposed changes to the planning laws and how you  can have your voices heard.

Better Planning Network

The Progress Association recently joined the Better Planning Network,a network of 200 state-wide local communities, organisations and individuals striving to achieve a better planning system for NSW. The Better Planning Network is not affiliated with any political party and recognises that:

1. Community engagement in decision-making is essential at every stage of the planning and development process.
2. Protecting our natural and cultural heritage is fundamental to the wellbeing of our communities.
3. Development must put local residents and communities first.
4. Strategic planning must be evidence-based.
5. Development must comply with strategic planning instruments.
6. Infrastructure goes hand in hand with development.

BPN’s contact email is betterplanningnetwork@gmail.com. They are on Facebook too

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Suggestions on how to be involved include: 

• Organise a meeting of your group membership to discuss the NSW Planning Review (make sure you give attendees a list of how they can voice their concerns or have laptops available at the meeting so people can email letters straight away)
• Forward BPN emails (particularly BPN calls to action) widely- to your group membership, as well as to your community networks- family, colleagues, friends, neighbours etc. Email the Premier http://betterplanningnetwork.good.do/nsw/email-the-premier-2/
• Talk to your family, friends and neighbours about what is happening and ask them if they can send a letter to their MP or to the Minister for Planning (there is a template on our website - betterplanningnetwork.good.do )
• ‘Like’ us on Facebook and ‘share’ our posts with your friends (https://www.facebook.com/BetterPlanningNetwork )
• ‘Follow’ us on Twitter and ‘retweet’ our posts where appropriate ( @BettPlanNetwork )
• Email our YouTube video to your group membership and community networks: http://www.youtube.com/user/BetterPlanning
• Encourage others to join the BPN email database by contacting us at betterplanningnetwork@gmail.com
• Liaise with your local media and keep trying to get the NSW Planning Review into the news