MEDIA RELEASE – Public input needed on new council planning tools

New controls governing the future planning of urban a rural development in the Bathurst Regional Council area is underway.

An Interim Development Control Plan is currently on public exhibition to allow the community to have an input into the Council’s planning process in particular issues such as sub-divisions and what is allowed under delegated authority.

The Interim Control Plans are a short term solution to the allow Council to effectively manage planning administration following the amalgamation of the former Bathurst City and Evans Shire Councils.

Preparation of a complete Strategic Plan and Local Environmental Plan will take up to three years.

Council Administrator Kath Knowles said that in the meantime Council had to put in place interim or transitional planning controls to enable development applications to continue to be processed.

“Developing a comprehensive planning regime is time consuming and complex and it is important that the right strategic framework be established before detailed control plans can be developed.

“It is vital that as part of this process the community gets the opportunity to have a say about what planning controls should be developed and how that will impact on the future of the Region.

“Although this is only an interim plan on display at the moment, it will still be another three years before a more permanent control plan is developed so it is important that the community be involved at every step of the planning process.” The Interim Control Plan is based largely on the plans of the former Bathurst City and Evans Shire Councils and includes recommendations from the broader Evans Draft Environmental Strategy and the Draft Bathurst Rural Strategy.

The Interim Control Plan is available to the community on the Bathurst Regional Council website www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au, by visiting Council’s Planning and Development Department or at the Bathurst Library until January 21 2005.