The Woollahra Local Planning Panel (WLPP) will be holding Panel meetings using conferencing technology (until further notice).
The NSW Government made changes to the way Local Planning Panels work to make them more efficient and to improve the assessment and determination times of development applications.
The changes are enacted to speed up Panel determinations by:
- reducing the need to conduct public panel meetings for non-contentious matters by applying a ‘10-or-more’ objection trigger for public meetings;
- reducing the amount of modifications going to panels;
- obliging panel chairs to more actively manage development applications (DAs) coming to the panels to reduce panel deferrals and assessment timeframes;
- allowing chairs to bring forward determination on DAs that are experiencing unreasonable delays of over 180 days from lodgement; and
- introducing panel performance measures.
Further information regarding these changes and Frequently Asked Questions is available at Planning NSW.
WLPP meetings will from now on be broken up into two meeting types being:
- Public Meeting (Panel members, staff and members of public); and
- Electronic Meeting (Panel members and staff only).
Meetings will then be held on the same day, commencing at 1.00pm on the Thursday for the public meeting, and the electronic meetings will then commence at the conclusion of the public meeting.
The Panel will continue to hear oral submissions from residents, applicants and objectors in the same way as previously for Public Meetings and then the Panel will then move to discuss the matters (in confidential session).
At the conclusion of the public meeting (and the decision making process), the Panel will then consider the matters on the electronic meeting agenda. Noting that members of the public are unable to address the Panel in relation to the matters on the electronic meeting agenda, however are still able to submit late correspondence for the Panel's consideration.
For Public Meetings
Members of the public are invited to listen to the meeting live to the Public Meetings, address the Panel by teleconference and/or submit late correspondence.
Please follow these important instructions below:
To listen to the meeting live (register by 12noon on the day before the meeting)
- Register to listen to the meeting live by 12noon on the day before the meeting by emailing your name, phone number, email address, the item you are interested in and whether you are the Applicant/Objector/Supporter to records@woollahra.nsw.gov.au.
- Please note: No late registrations can be accepted. You will receive an email on the day of the meeting providing you contact details to connect to the teleconference.
To register to speak at the meeting (register by 12noon on the day before the meeting)
To submit late correspondence (submit by 12noon on the day before the meeting)
- Members of the public are invited to submit late correspondence on an agenda item being considered at the WLPP Meeting. If you wish to make a written submission on an Item on the Agenda, please email your submission to records@woollahra.nsw.gov.au
To listen to a recording of the meeting (post-meeting)
- Audio recording of the meeting will be uploaded to Council’s website (by 5.00pm the next business day).
- For further information please contact the Governance team on (02) 9391 7001.
For Electronic Meetings
Members of the public may submit late correspondence for consideration by the Panel.
To submit late correspondence (submit by 12noon on the day before the meeting)
- Members of the public are invited to submit late correspondence on an agenda item being considered at the WLPP Meeting. If you wish to make a written submission on an Item on the Agenda, please email your submission to records@woollahra.nsw.gov.au
Meeting frequency
Meetings are held on the first and third Thursday of each month commencing at 1pm at Woollahra Council, 536 New South Head Road, Double Bay. Check the upcoming meetings calendar for current and future dates.
Applicants and people who make a submission will be notified if an item is being heard by the panel. The panel may elect to undertake site visits in the morning prior to the public meetings commence.
Applicants, people who have made a submission and other interest people can address the panel and submit late correspondence for consideration by the panel. Please refer to the details below for further information.
Late correspondence
Late correspondence may be submitted for by the WLPP.
Late correspondence must be submitted to Council by 12noon on the Wednesday before the meeting via email to records@woollahra.nsw.gov.au.
Quorum and Voting
The four (4) voting members for each agenda item at the panel meeting will be selected by the Chair from the pool of panel members appointed to the WLPP.
The quorum for a panel meeting is three (3) members.
A decision supported by a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of a WLPP (at which a quorum is present) is the decision of the panel.
The Panel Chair has a deliberative vote and, in the event of tied votes, the Chair has a second or casting vote.