The NSW Government has made local planning panels mandatory for all Councils in the Greater Sydney region and Wollongong City Council. From 1 March 2018 these Panels are known as Local Planning Panels (LPP). The Panels have been put in place so that the process of assessment and determination of development applications is transparent and accountable.
The Local Planning Panel will continue to meet once a month, or more often if required, and consider planning proposals and/or development applications where the applicant or owner is the Council or a member of staff, or contentious applications as outlined in the Ministerial Directions and Local Planning Panel Delegations (referenced below).
To undertake its determination and review function of Development Applications and consideration/recommendations of Planning Proposals, Georges River Council has appointed a Local Planning Panel comprising of four members being as:
- The Chair,
- Two professionals with expertise in planning, architecture, heritage, the environment, urban design, economics, traffic and transport, law, engineering, tourism or government and public administration, and
- One community representative selected from a pool of five (being one from each Ward within the Georges River Local Government Area).
Council has selected LPP members from a pool managed by the Department of Planning and Environment. They are required to be an expert in one or more of the following areas: planning, architecture, heritage, the environment, urban design, economics, traffic and transport, law, engineering, tourism or government and public administration. Councillors and Mayors will not be permitted to be on the Panels in their Local Government Area.
Georges River Local Planning Panel Members appointed until 24 February 2024 under Council resolution Resolution No: ENV035A-21 (June 2021) are as follows:
Chairs / Alternate Chairs (A)
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Expert Panel Members
|
Community Members
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| Sue Francis |
Juliet Grant |
Cameron Jones |
| Stephen Alchin (A) |
Michael Leavey |
Erin Sellers |
| Stephen Davies (A) |
John Brockhoff |
George Vardas |
| |
Ian Armstrong |
Fiona Prodromou |
| |
Judy Clark |
Jenny Simpson |
| |
Milan Marecic |
|
| |
Deborah Laidlaw |
|
| |
Annette Ruhotas |
|
| |
Awais Piracha |
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| |
Nicholas Skelton |
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Anthony Hudson |
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Julie Walsh |
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Paul Vergotis |
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Stephen Alchin |
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Stephen Davies |
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For further information on the legislation and LPPs is outlined on the Department of Planning and Environment’s website which contains other useful fact sheets and FAQs.
Meeting Schedule
All meetings commence at 4.00pm.
| 15 February 2024 |
Georges River Civic Centre |
LPP Meeting dates and times are at the discretion of the Chairs of the LPP in addition to the operation requirements of Council.
Once an assessment has been completed, Council aims to have applications required to be considered by the LPP reported to the next meeting.
Reporting of applications to the LPP by Council are not influenced by the individual circumstances of applicants, objectors nor school holidays.
The Process
Prior to each LPP meeting, the Panel members will undertake site inspections. Requests for site inspections of adjoining properties will be undertaken at the discretion of the Panel Chair.
The meeting is run in accordance with the order of items on the agenda as published on Council’s website.
The Applicant, Submitters and interested members of the public are welcome to attend the meeting in person, however the meetings will remain live streamed. If an individual wishes to make representations to the Panel the form referenced below will need to be completed and returned to Council with a summary of matters to be presented to the Panel which is to be no longer than 2 pages in length 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting date. This information will be collated and forwarded to the Panel to review.
In your submission we ask you include your phone contact details so we can contact to arrange for you to join the meeting via Teams if not attending in person.
Once all the representations have been made to the Panel for each item, the public meeting will be closed and the Panel members will deliberate in a closed session which will not be recorded or live streamed.
The Panel will make a decision on the day of the scheduled meeting and the decisions will be published on the Council website within 2-3 business days.
Addressing the Panel
If you would like to make representation to the LPP, you will need to complete the Application to Make Representation to the LPP Form by the close of business 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting date.
Local Planning Panel Meeting Broadcast
Local Planning Panel Meetings will be broadcast live and can be viewed on any internet connected device, All submissions will be considered by the Panel and registered speakers will be heard during the public meeting. Local Planning Panel Meetings commence at 4.00pm.
Live Broadcast
Meeting Webcast Archive
Agendas and Reports
The agenda will be available seven business days before the scheduled meeting. The minutes will be published the following business day.
Search all agendas and minutes.
Electronic Agendas
Process
In some instances the LPP Chair may determine that it is unnecessary to hold a meeting in public to consider a particular application and determine the matter electronically. Circumstances where a public meeting may not be required includes;
- Where the assessment report recommends approval and there are no submission by way of objection, or
- Where the LPP has considered the matter at a public meeting and deferred its decision to request specific additional information from an applicant or Council (such as amended drawings). In this case, an electronic meeting should only occur if Council, after having accepted the amended drawings, has decided that re-exhibition of the amended drawings is not required).
Search all Electronic Agendas.
Conflict, Pecuniary and Disclosure of Interest
Disclosure Forms Per Matter for Consideration
As required by the LPP Code of Conduct panel members are required to disclose known conflict or pecuniary interests associated with the matters they are to consider at any panel meeting.
From 3 September 2018 prior to the meeting being conducted, panel members will complete relevant forms as prescribed by the NSW Department of Planning.
These forms will then be tabled at the LPP meeting for Council to include in the online minutes of the meeting.
Written Disclosure of Interest Forms
As required by the LPP Code of Conduct panel members are required to complete a disclose of interests on the relevant forms as prescribed by the NSW Department of Planning when becoming a panel member at 30 June each year.
These forms are required to be tabled at a planning panel meeting by the Chairperson and subsequently provided to Council to upload on its website with the exclusion of the panel members residential address.
The relevant forms are provided hereunder:
Search all Written Disclosures
Audio Recordings
In accordance with the Clause 25(3) of Schedule 2 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, the LPP public meeting is recorded from 7 May 2018 onwards. Please find the recordings below.
Audio Webcast Archive
Ministerial Directions and Delegations
Ministerial Directions and Delegations Archive
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