NSW Productivity Commission called out by Planning Institute Australia

NSW Productivity Commission called out by Planning Institute Australia
Staff reporterDecember 7, 2020

The NSW Productivity Commission has been called out to stop using planning as a scapegoat for failures in the housing markets.

Planning Institute Australia called out the Commission, asking them to work on better understanding the value provided by the planning profession.

In a submission to the commission’s green paper, PIA urged the Commission to reconsider its portrayal of planning systems and address the benefits of strategic planning processes.

Functioning cities require a functioning planning system, said PIA NSW president Juliet Grant.

“PIA supports sensible planning reform, but the planning profession should not be used as a scapegoat for failures of our economy to deliver on the promise of housing affordability”, she said.

The institute accused the green paper of developing a false narrative which blamed planning processes for high house prices.

“PIA members know that planning contributes to the economic strength of our state by making sure people live close to jobs and services,” Grant noted.

In their submission, PIA highlighted planning’s delivery of a strong housing supply pipeline through consistently high rates of project approvals.

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