Changes to speed up health infrastructure delivery

Proposed changes to planning rules will cut red tape for the construction of NSW Health facilities, to better equip the state when dealing with medical emergencies.

Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Executive Director of State Policies and Strategic Advice, Felicity Greenway, said the proposed changes were the latest initiative from the NSW Government’s Planning Reform Action Plan, which was introduced following the pandemic outbreak to improve assessment timeframes and simplify the planning system.

“NSW Health is managing the biggest public health crisis in more than a century and these changes will help speed up the process in delivering upgrades to vital health facilities around NSW,” Ms Greenway said.

“There is $10 billion worth of health capital works scheduled over the next three years and the planning system will do its bit to get these projects fast-tracked.

“The efficient delivery of these essential infrastructure projects will benefit the health and well-being of communities and local economies right across NSW, particularly those affected by the summer bushfires and the impacts of COVID-19.”

The delivery of small-scale health infrastructure will be fast-tracked under proposed amendments to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007.

Specific changes in the SEPP include:

  • Allowing health manufacturing facilities to be built within the boundaries of an existing health facility premises with development consent;
  • Allowing small-scale standalone additions and alterations without development consent if NSW Health assess all environmental impacts;
  • Allowing emergency works to happen outside of standard construction hours.

The proposed amendments are on exhibition until Thursday, 17 December 2020.

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