Protecting beachfront properties from exposure to coastal erosion and hazards is an ongoing problem across much of the NSW coast and made worse by climate change. Recently, the Land and Environment Court (Court) considered whether development consent should be granted…
A recent decision of the NSW Supreme Court provides a timely example of the operation of clause 1.9A – a clause contained in many LEPs which can operate to suspend or override restrictive covenants. Relevantly, clause 19.A(1) provides: (1) For…
This blog is part of our LTL in Focus: Certifier Series. The Certifier Series deals with questions, issues and changes affecting both private and local council certifiers. In this blog we discuss the issues that arise when building work is…
This is the first blog in our LTL in Focus: Certifier Series. The Certifier Series will cover a range of questions, issues and changes affecting both private and local council certifiers. A key function of certifiers is to issue occupation…
Planning for Bushfire Protection 2019 (PBP) is often considered by consent authorities when dealing with development applications proposed on bush fire prone land, either by reason of section 4.14 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act) or when…
Where a development is only permissible with a development consent under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) (EPA Act) and is also an activity under s68 of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) (LG Act), uncertainty often arises as…
Section 4.16(4) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA Act) allows a consent authority to grant either total or partial consent to a development application, by granting development consent to either: the development for which the consent is sought,…
It is well established that before a consent authority has the power to grant development consent, the owner of the land on which the development is to take place must give consent to the lodgment of the development application. If…
A relevant enforcement authority (including a local council) can issue a development control order (DCO) in certain circumstances to require a person to do or refrain from doing things to ensure compliance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979…
The power of a consent authority to modify a development consent is set out at sections 4.55 (for modification of consents generally) and 4.56 (for modification of consents granted by the Court) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979…
The NSW Government has finalised a number of planning reforms to help facilitate tourism activities on existing commercial farms, intended to increase their financial resilience to natural disasters and other adverse events. The changes include a number of new exempt…
Local councils in New South Wales from time to time make development applications seeking consent to carry out development on land they own, occupy or otherwise control while at the same time being the consent authority responsible for determining the…