Local Planning in Queanbeyan

This week's class further explored the topic of local planning frameworks, with a field trip to Queanbeyan City Council to hear about the new planning framework recently introduced by the NSW local government. One of the key aspects of this reform was the replacement of separate plans with an integrated framework. The idea is to provide consistency between various statutory planning processes and reports and strengthen the strategic focus of councils. Planning takes place at many levels, over various time frames, and with many parties involved, thus to maximise efficiency and effectiveness integration is imperative.

Heirarchy of Queanbeyan Plans


The heirarchy with different temporal scales for each document is a key feature of integrated planning, and allows for the pursuit of long term goals through the undertaking of projects in the short term. Whilst this planning approach seems ideal in theory, one of the issues identified by the presenter at Queanbeyan was the failure to integrate the former Social Plan into the new documents. As a LGA, Queanbeyan faces challenges presented by factors such as a growing population and proximity to Canberra leading to decreased business opportunities. Thus, an emphasis on social planning issues is important to manage the liveability of the area. Another issue raised during discussion was the limited resources and power of Local Councils. The new planning documents are of little use if the measures are not able to be implemented. Although the Operational Plan identifies budget issues and practical aspects of implementing projects, there still seems to be a gap between the actual ability of Councils to put actions into practice.

Source: Queanbeyan City Council Delivery Progam, 2009