Submission on the Issues Paper, Better Urban Planning

Conclusion

Even with the best will to date in improving the legislative framework, the example of water services demonstrates a continuing maze of planning issues, environmental obligations and differing responsibilities that does not result in adequate transparency or, more importantly, equity. In most other jurisdictions there is a clear set of environmental and health standards that must be adhered to when delivering water services. This is quite separate from the planning regime covering land-use and the installation of infrastructure to allow the supply of the water services.

This inquiry into improving urban planning would be an appropriate time to consider a fundamental change to the legislative frameworks. A clear set of planning requirements and a clear but separate set of environmental and health standards along with defined responsibilities will be necessary if we are to adequately confront the challenges presented by demographic change, public expectations, and new technologies.

A new approach to both environmental and health standards and urban planning and development could, in reference to water services provision, include:

• a prescribed template for asset management plans;
• consistent recording of data by councils to a prescribed template mandated by central government;
• consistent means of renewals planning;
• consistent and transparent means of reporting financial information about 3 waters assets;
• consistently applied environmental and health standards; and

defined and consistent responsibilities and obligations applicable to service provision.