What kind of Plans?

This week's class explored the hierarchy of plans related to the ACT, and they way in which they interact to provide our current planning framework.

As would be expected, the documents at the top of the hierarchy provide a general vision, and less specific detail. The subsequent plans provide further detail specific to certain areas, that must comply with and build upon the ideas outlined in these guiding documents. 

It can be seen that there are many different plans related to the area, each with a different style and purpose. Whilst having so many different plans serves a purpose, it must be ensured that they are all integrated without having repetitive information.

The presence of different layers of planning also has the potential to cause conflict. This is particularly apparent in Canberra, which has the added agency, The National Capital Authority responsible for areas considered of importance to the city as a Capital (Parliamentary zone, Lake Burley Griffin etc). This inevitably has the potential not only to cause overlap within planning documents, but conflict between the NCA and other planning bodies. Such fragmentation causes delays and inefficiency, so the integration and constant review of planning documents is essential to ensure effectiveness of the system. Bodies such as COAG are instrumental in undertaking such activities.