The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has announced the NSW Government’s new approach for precinct planning in Greater Sydney. The Minister stated that the new precinct planning framework would clear the decks of planning proposals stuck in the system, refocus the State’s planning efforts and empower local councils to plan strategically. Read more

On 18 November 2019, the updated version of the Equator Principles (EP), EP4, was adopted by the Equator Principles Association. EP4 will apply to mandated transactions from 1 July 2020. This article discusses the key amendments made. Read more

The Discussion Paper relating to the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) has been released for public consultation. Written submissions on the Discussion Paper are due by 5pm on 17 April 2020. Read more

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has provided insights into relevant considerations for proposed solar farms in three recent decisions, in which three of the five projects considered were refused. Read more

The NSW Government has introduced the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Territorial Limits) Bill 2019 (NSW) (Bill) into the NSW Parliament. The Bill proposes to prohibit conditions of consent which would regulate downstream greenhouse gas emissions. Read more

The NSW Government has introduced the Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2019 (Bill) to the NSW Parliament. The Bill responds to the Building Confidence report dated February 2018 by Professor Peter Shergold and Ms Bronwyn Weird (Report). The Report addressed the compliance and enforcement issues faced by the building and construction industry in NSW following serious defects with newly built apartment towers in Sydney. Read more

A draft bill to amend the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) was released yesterday for public consultation. The draft bill reflects a wholesale review of the Act and proposes the most significant amendments since it was enacted. All land users in WA whose current and future activities are regulated by the Act should closely follow these reforms. Read more

A new Bill introduced into the Victorian Parliament seeks to update the habitat compensation arrangements within Melbourne’s growth corridors, providing additional funding to support State government acquisition of land for conservation area reserves given increases in land values. Read more