Department of Planning & Environment

The New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) is a department of the New South Wales Government, responsible for effective and sustainable planning to support the growth in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It makes plans based on evidence for the state's cities and regions, working with the community, business and local government to create places for people in NSW to live, work and spend their leisure time, while ensuring good access to transport and other services like shops and restaurants.[3]: 6, 9  The department is also responsible for the evidence-based assessment of state significant development applications.

New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment
Department overview
Formed1 July 2019 (2019-07-01) (as Department of Planning, Industry and Environment)
Preceding agencies
TypeDepartment
JurisdictionNew South Wales
Headquarters12 Darcy Street, Parramatta
Employees636 (2018)[1]: 170 
Annual budgetA$2.6 billion (2018)[1]: 78 
Ministers responsible
Department executive
Child Department
Websitewww.dpie.nsw.gov.au

The department was renamed from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) on 21 December 2021.[4] The DPIE was formed on 1 July 2019 following the 2019 state election and replaced an earlier Department of Planning and Environment and Department of Industry.[5] The department was also responsible for the development of industry until these functions were transferred to the new Department of Regional NSW in April 2020.

History
Logo used when the department was named Department of Planning, Industry & Environment

Previous departments

The main planning department/authority in New South Wales had various names throughout its history. Starting with the State Planning Authority, which replaced the Cumberland County Council and the Northumberland County Council in December 1963, previous planning departments were:

  • State Planning Authority (1963–1974)[6]
  • New South Wales Planning and Environment Commission (1974–1980)[7]
  • Department of Environment and Planning (1980–1988)[8]
  • Department of Planning (1988–1995)
  • Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (1995–2001)[9]
  • Department of Planning (2001 – April 2003)
  • Department of Urban and Transport Planning (April – July 2003)[10]
  • Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources (July 2003 – 2005)[11]
  • Department of Planning (2005–2011)
  • Department of Planning and Infrastructure (2011–2014)[12]
  • Department of Planning and Environment (2014–2019)

The planning department adopted the "Department of Planning and Environment" name in April 2014 after Mike Baird became Premier of New South Wales. In 2015–16 the department approved major projects worth A$20 billion.[13]

Between 2014 and 2019, the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) also existed within the Department of Planning and Environment. Previous environment authority/office/departments in New South Wales were:

Formation

The establishment of a new planning department was announced in April 2019 following the 2019 state election. The new department would be formed from the merger of the Department of Planning and Environment and Department of Industry, the latter formed in July 2015. The new department was originally planned to be named the Department of Planning and Industry.[5] The Office of Local Government and the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) would also be abolished and merged into the new department. The heritage functions of the OEH were an exception and would be assumed by the Heritage Branch within Department of Premier and Cabinet, later known as Heritage NSW.[17][18] The abolition of the OEH and the lack of the word "Environment" in the name of the new department generated criticism from OEH staff, environmental groups and the opposition.[19] In May 2019, the "Environment" word was added to the proposed name.[20]

All proposed changes took effect on 1 July 2019 and the new department was established.[5] The new department was initially spread across a number of sites, mostly in the Sydney CBD. In January and February 2020, the department relocated and consolidated most of its staff in a newly built tower at 4 Parramatta Square.[21] Shortly after moving into the building, the department was criticised by unions and some staff for spending $1,246,000 fitting out its new offices with indoor plants.[22][23] The expenditure was not supported by the planning minister, Rob Stokes.[24]

In April 2020, the Regions, Industry, Agriculture and Resources division of DPIE was spun out as the Department of Regional NSW, a separate government department.[25][26][27] On 21 December 2021, the reduced DPIE was renamed back the Department of Planning and Environment.[4]

Heritage NSW was transferred back from the Department of Premier and Cabinet to the Department of Planning and Environment on 1 April 2022.[4]

Legislation to create the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust passed on 29 March 2022, which would comprise Centennial Parklands (including Moore Park and Queens Park), Western Sydney Parklands, Parramatta Park, Callan Park and Fernhill Estate and their individual park trusts.[28][29] The trust, along with the Luna Park Reserve Trust, Place Management NSW and the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, were transferred from DoPE to Transport for NSW on 1 April 2022.[30]

Structure

The department is the lead agency in the Planning and Environment cluster, led by Secretary, presently Kiersten Fishburn since October 2021.[31]

Between June 2021 and December 2021, the department was made up of six core delivery groups:[32]

There was also previously another core delivery group, Regions, Industry, Agriculture & Resources until it was transferred to the new Department of Regional NSW in April 2020.[33]

Ministers

The following ministers are responsible for the administration of the department and its agencies:[34][35]

Ultimately the ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

The department administers the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979[36] and the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.[37]

Agencies

The following agencies are included in the Planning and Environment cluster, administered by the Department:[38]

Priorities

The previous Department of Planning and Environment's corporate plan was outlined in Planning for Growing NSW: 2015–2017 that aimed to plan for growth by inspiring strong communities and by protecting the environment.[3]: 4  In keeping with this, the department's priorities were:[3]: 7 

  • Enabling the creation of strong, vibrant communities
  • Make the planning system simpler, cheaper and faster
  • Supporting affordable and appropriately-serviced housing and employment land
  • Assessing major projects and infrastructure in a timely and efficient way, while ensuring appropriate planning outcomes

See also

References
  1. "Annual Report 2017–18" (PDF). Department of Planning and Environment. Government of New South Wales. ISBN 978-0-9954207-7-9. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  2. "Message from the Secretary". NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  3. "Plan for Growing NSW: Corporate Plan: 2015–2017". Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  4. "Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry—Transitional) Order 2021 [NSW]". NSW Legislation. 21 December 2021. p. 8. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 [NSW] (159)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 7-8. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. "AGY-424 State Planning Authority". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  7. "AGY-425 New South Wales Planning and Environment Commission". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  8. "AGY-427 Department of Environment and Planning (1980–1988) Department of Planning [I] (1988–1995)". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  9. "AGY-3809 Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (1995–2001) Department of Planning [II](2001–2003)". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  10. "AGY-3525 Department of Urban and Transport Planning". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  11. "AGY-3813 Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  12. "AGY-4721 Department of Planning [III] (2005–2011) Department of Planning and Infrastructure (2011–2014) Department of Planning and Environment (2014–2019)". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  13. "Annual Report 2015-16 |work=Department of Planning and Environment |". Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  14. "AGY-1146 Environment Protection Authority". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  15. "AGY-3815 Department of Environment and Conservation (2003–2007) Department of Environment and Climate Change (2007–2009) Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (2009–2011)". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  16. "AGY-6439 Office of Environment and Heritage". NSW State Archives & Records. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  17. "Machinery of Government - Premier and Cabinet". Archived from the original on 24 January 2020.
  18. "Annual Reports". Heritage NSW. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  19. "'Vandals': NSW environment staff fear for jobs as office dissolves". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  20. "'Five decisions before lunch': environment gets another bite at the PIE". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  21. Housing and Property (26 October 2020). "4 Parramatta Square Workplace". Housing and Property. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  22. "'It's astonishing': More than $1.2m spent on indoor plants for new NSW Government office". www.abc.net.au. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  23. "NSW planning department spent $1.2m on office plants". The Mandarin. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  24. "'The hypocrisy is breathtaking': NSW government splurges a million dollars on plants". 2GB. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  25. "Department of Regional NSW to take on urgent needs of the bush". NSW Government. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  26. "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Regional NSW and Independent Planning Commission) Order 2020". Legislation NSW. 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  27. "Regions, Industry, Agriculture and Resources". Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  28. "50-Year Vision for Greater Sydney's Open Space and Parklands". Department of Planning and Environment. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  29. "Greater Sydney Parklands". Department of Planning and Environment. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  30. "Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Miscellaneous) Order (No 2) 2022 [NSW]". NSW Legislation. 16 March 2022. p. 8. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  31. "Kiersten Fishburn appointed DPIE secretary". Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  32. "NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Annual Report 2020–21" (PDF). OpenGov NSW. November 2021. pp. 7–8. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  33. "NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Annual Report 2019–20" (PDF). Parliament of NSW. Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. November 2020. pp. 10–12. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  34. "Our Ministers". Department of Planning and Environment. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  35. "Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry—Allocation of Acts and Agencies) Order 2021". 21 December 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  36. "NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act". Parliament of New South Wales. 1979. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  37. "NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee". NSW Environment, Energy and Science. Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (NSW). Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  38. "Our agencies". Department of Planning and Environment. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  39. Hannam, Peter (10 September 2014). "Snowy loses independent scientific oversight". SMH. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  40. "Snowy Advisory Committee". Department of Planning and Environment. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
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