In April, I attended the Environment Consultant (EC) and Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) meeting. During this meeting, we discussed several critical topics related to regional planning and the implementation of National Environmental Standards.
Summary of Discussions and Updates
Regional Planning Requirements
DCCEEW has outlined requirements for regional plans, which will be detailed in legislation and the National Environmental Standard for Regional Planning. These requirements include:
- Define a Region: Select a region with a sufficient ecological scale.
- Identify Values: Determine environmental values (scaled on a minimum of 3 rankings) and heritage values.
- Priority Actions: Specify classes of development that are priority actions.
- Address Decline Drivers: Refer to conservation planning documents to identify and address threats and drivers of ecological decline.
- Impact Assessment: Evaluate the impact of the specified priority actions.
- Set Objectives and Strategies: Establish clear objectives and develop strategies to achieve these objectives.
- Zone Specification: Define:
- A development zone with specific conditions.
- A conservation zone with associated restricted actions.
- Regional restoration measures.
- Government Agreement: Ensure the plan is agreed upon by the relevant state or territory government.
Mapping Stage
The mapping stage involves collaboration between the Australian Government and state or territory governments to identify environmental and heritage values within a region. This includes:
- Data Collection: Gathering information about protected areas, critical habitats for threatened species, World Heritage sites, and Ramsar wetlands.
- Value Ranking: Presenting environmental values in a system with at least three tiers (e.g., high, medium, low).
- Data Improvement: Investing in improving the underlying datasets for better accuracy.
Planning Stage
In the planning stage, the Australian Government, along with state or territory governments, sets environmental, heritage, cultural, and development objectives for achieving nature-positive outcomes. This involves:
- Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging broadly with stakeholders, including First Nations groups, and local communities to identify development and conservation zones.
- Development Zones: Specified classes of actions can proceed with conditions, reducing the need for individual project approvals.
- Conservation Zones: These zones prohibit certain actions and focus on protecting environmental and heritage values.
- Regional Restoration Measures: Addressing significant impacts on matters of national environmental significance through direct actions and regional restoration contributions.
State and Territory Involvement
MOUs have been signed with Queensland and South Australia to advance regional planning, focusing on urban development, renewable energy zones, and critical minerals. Key points include:
- Queensland: Focus on urban development (South East Queensland), renewable energy zones, and critical minerals.
- South Australia: Emphasis on renewable energy.
Ongoing Work Streams
- Regional Planning Draft Legislation, Standard, and Guidance (Regional Planning Framework)
- Development of the regional planning system.
- Processes for making, implementing, administering, varying, revoking, and suspending regional plans.
- Alignment with other assessment and approval pathways where appropriate.
- Integrating with state and territory planning systems to streamline opportunities.
- Compliance and enforcement of regional plan conditions and prohibitions through the National EPA.
- Addressing cumulative impacts across a region, landscape, or seascape.
- Regional Restoration Measures
- Implementing regional restoration contributions and payments.
- Restoration Actions and Restoration Contributions Standard
- Application of Other Standards for Regional Planning
- Applying additional standards relevant to regional planning including: First Nations Standard, Community Consultation Standard, and Data and Information Standard.
I encourage all stakeholders to engage actively in these processes and stay up to date with upcoming changes.