The rollout of landmark planning reforms is now well underway, creating a faster, fairer and modern planning system.

The latest changes will come into effect on 21 March 2026 and include:

• The ability to create targeted assessment pathways, that could reduce assessment timeframes by up to 50 per cent for low-risk development that have already been subject to strategic planning and community consultation. For example, this could be used to further fast track the approval of Mid-rise pattern book homes.
• Streamlined 14-day approvals for minor modifications to existing development applications (DAs) that don’t have environmental impacts, to increase certainty for applicants and help avoid construction delays.
• Where a development application is not required - making the environmental assessment of works carried out by state agencies, councils and other public authorities proportionate to the works being done.
• Fairer review and appeal processes, which give applicants greater flexibility.

The Minns Labor Government is also making the planning system easier to navigate by halving the number of active planning circulars which are in place to help guide people through the planning system. This change will cut the confusion and help applicants speed up planning proposal preparation to further accelerate planning.

This builds on the first proclamation of reforms under the new Act introduced in December 2025 which:

• Allowed the Development Coordination Authority to begin initial operations.
• Cemented the Housing Delivery Authority as a permanent pathway.
• Updated the objects of the act to include climate change, housing delivery and proportionality in assessments.
• Established new powers to deal with ‘Zombie’ development applications.

Since then, the Government has also exhibited regulatory changes to fully establish the Development Coordination Authority and currently have on public exhibition a new proposed Climate Change and Natural Hazards State Environmental Planning Policy.

This implementation of the Government’s landmark planning reforms will continue over the coming months, with consultation on the first potential targeted assessment pathways and a new consistent statewide community consultation plan.  

The Planning System Reform Act 2025 passed in November 2025 with almost universal support if the NSW Parliament, enabling the most substantive changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in a generation.

Further information on the planning reforms is available at the Planning website.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:
“The Minns Labor Government is removing unnecessary roadblocks that have hindered the delivery of new homes, jobs and infrastructure.

“For too long the planning system in NSW has been focused on process rather than outcomes. This led to a situation where around 90 per cent of the development applications being assessed were for lower value projects of $1 million or less.

“We’ve been sweating the small stuff which has led to delays and a system that had lost focus on its role to help deliver more homes, jobs and better environmental outcomes. We’re refocusing planning effort where it matters most by making it faster for low-risk development to get moving so we can get more new keys in more new doors faster.

“By introducing targeted assessment and streamlining modifications we are cutting approval timelines without cutting corners and ultimately improving feasibility for projects right across NSW. Ultimately these changes will help us build a better NSW.”