Environment Defenders Office has made a submission on the Stage 3 Planning Reforms of the Planning Amendment Bill in the Northern Territory.
Broadly, we consider the Bill clarifies some important matters and may lead to some improvements in administration of the planning system. However, in our view reform of the Planning Act does not go far enough. Further, in some respects we consider that amendments may in fact undermine the stated intent of the reforms, particularly in relation to building community confidence and trust in the planning system. We consider the Bill is a significant missed opportunity to more fundamentally redraft the Planning Act and to more holistically consider and reform the planning system on issues that are of key concern to the community, including climate change, environmental impacts, transparency and accountability.
