A suite of digital planning tools was launched by the Andrew Labor Government, aiming to make it quicker and easier to lodge and track planning amendments.
The Amendment Tracking System, as announced by the Minister for Planning Richard Wynne, is a centralised system that stores the 82 planning schemes of Victoria online.
In an announcement made by the Victorian Government, it was explained that the system is a new digital tool that allows councils, developers and planning authorities to lodge, pay for and track planning scheme amendment requests online. The system also enables the residents and the developers to comment electronically on exhibited amendments.
This initiative is a part of the ground-breaking Smart Planning reforms of the Labour Government. It will slash red tape and at the same time, is expected to save the industry A$ 35 million every year. It will make Victoria the most efficient and transparent state in Australia for planning, and drive investment.
In essence, the Smart Planning Program is a reform program to make Victoria’s planning system more efficient and accessible. It aims to address the issues inherent in the planning system by simplifying planning rules and delivering a suite of modern digital tools.
Minister Wynne described it as a ground-breaking system will make it quicker and easier to lodge, track and comment on planning applications, eventually slashing red tape and saving money.
Alongside the launch of the suite is an online resource library that the Government has also released. The library has search tools on the Planning website to aid in the discovery of both current and archived planning documents. The online resource library can now be accessed here.
It has been 23 years since the last time that the planning provisions and schemes were reformed. Since then, it has expanded significantly. The library now includes a massive 75,000 pages across 7,000 documents. Add to that an extra 15,000 maps.
The communities, councils and developers will now understand the planning requirements in their area better because of this initiative of providing the in a readily accessible format.
Minister Wynne commented that Victoria’s nation-leading construction boom needs up-to-date tools like this.
Moreover, the Victorian Government will also deliver a new Planning Policy Framework (PPF) that integrates state and local planning policies, slashing duplication and reducing conflicting policy.
The integrated PPF will strengthen planning policy, create a framework that is easier to navigate, ensure consistency, and simplify updates.
Over the next 12 – 18 months, local councils will be supported to integrate their local planning policies into the PPF.
