Environmental groups have warned that proposed changes to New South Wales' planning laws, intended to fast-track housing approvals, could also allow mining projects, windfarms and other developments to bypass environmental assessments. The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) said the bill, announced in September, is so broad it could facilitate fast-tracking of mines and infrastructure without proper oversight.
The NSW planning minister, Paul Scully, said the bill is designed to make the planning system quicker and simpler for housing and jobs. However, critics including the EDO and the NSW Nature Conservation Council argue the changes are not limited to housing and could strip public interest considerations. The bill gives the minister power to declare developments eligible for a 'targeted development assessment' process, which would prohibit environmental assessments and consideration of the public interest.
Elaine Johnson of Johnson Legal, advising a community on a proposed silver, zinc and lead mine near Mudgee, said the government's critical minerals policy could allow the mine to be approved without environmental assessment, despite risks from lead contamination. The changes would also remove references to 'protecting the environment' from the act, replacing them with phrases focused on productivity and resource management.
The Nature Conservation Council's chief executive, Jacqui Mumford, said the government had not consulted environmental groups but had spoken to the opposition for nine months. The bill also creates a development coordination authority, giving the planning secretary final say on projects, which Mumford said concentrates power and risks corruption, recalling past scandals involving former Labor minister Eddie Obeid. Scully denied the claims, stating the Independent Commission Against Corruption was consulted and raised no concerns.
