Transitioning to a new planning system — a longer—term process

30 September 2015

The long-awaited introduction of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Bill 2015 has caused some concern for councils concerned with short-term staffing and resources implications.

The Bill does not of itself contain any transitional provisions.  The transitional provisions for the Bill will be contained within a separate piece of legislation and a Bill for this purpose is expected to be introduced into Parliament in early 2016.

The Development Act 1993 was implemented through a separate transitional Act – the Statutes Repeal and Amendment (Development) Act 1993 which still operates today in respect of development approvals issued under and other matters dealt with under the Planning Act 1982.

Transitional Acts enable new legislation to commence in sequential parts and ensure that processes commenced under the previous legislation are recognised and can be dealt with under new legislation as it commences.

DPTI has stated that the full implementation of the new legislation will take place within 3-5 years.  However, until the implementation Bill passes through Parliament, exact timeframes will not be known.

We will keep you updated with details of the transitional Bill when it is introduced.