NSW planning reforms that add resilience as a key objective have been welcomed by the Insurance Council of Australia.  

The bill introduced into parliament this month modernises the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and aims to cut red tape and delays hindering the delivery of new housing and infrastructure.

Objectives listed include: “To promote resilience to climate change and natural disasters through adaptation, mitigation, preparedness and prevention.”

ICA says the move to modernise NSW’s 50-year-old planning framework must ensure resilient homes are built in the right locations.

“While there is an urgent need to tackle Australia’s housing shortage and streamline the construction of new homes, this needs to be done in a way that ensures these new homes aren’t locking in future risk and worsening community resilience to extreme weather,” it says.

“Currently, too many properties face unacceptable flood, fire or coastal erosion risk because past planning decisions didn’t properly account for extreme weather threats.

“Areas developed without adequate risk mitigation face greater threats and higher insurance costs.”   

Planning Minister Paul Scully told parliament the bill modernises the act to reflect contemporary planning priorities, with a “focus on promoting land use that supports housing supply, climate resilience, economic productivity, the environment, heritage and conservation, and good design and construction.”