Development application notifications for neighbouring developments (responding to)
Direction and guidance on responding to development application notifications for proposed developments that are considered likely to impact school operations and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff and the school community.
Changes since previous version
2022 Feb 10 - updated contact details for policy statement and made minor wording changes.
Document history
2020 Aug 25 - updated policy statement to add section for School Infrastructure NSW and made minor typographical edits.
2019 Sep 03 - made typographical changes and updated contact details to policy statement and removed any references to TAFE.
Superseded documents
This policy expands upon documentation held by schools within the Principals Properties Management Manual - School Asset Management Guidelines. This policy acknowledges restructure changes and incorporates TAFE.
- Policy statement
- The department responds to development application notifications for proposed developments that are considered likely to impact on the operation of a school and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff and the school community.
- If the proposed development is considered of an objectionable nature and incompatible with the operations and safety of an education establishment or office accommodation, or is likely to cause difficulty with the normal functioning of the education facility then an objection should be forwarded to the appropriate consent authority.
- Audience and applicability
- All NSW Government schools.
- Context
- Schools and the department receive development application notifications from local councils for nearby properties or premises.
- Responsibilities and delegations
- Principals:
- are responsible for responding to development application notifications that are considered likely to impact on the operation of a school facility and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community
- and school community representatives may independently respond to development application notifications that are considered likely to impact on the operation of a school facility and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community
- should, if required, seek advice from their local Asset Management Unit as soon as the development application notifications are received and well before the closing date of the notification
- should notify their Director, Educational Leadership if a received development application is deemed contentious.
- Executive Directors or Directors, Educational Leadership:
- will, if appropriate, support principals when principals are responding to development application notifications that are considered likely to impact on the operation of a school facility and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community
- may independently respond to development application notifications that are considered likely to impact on the operation of a school facility and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community
- should, if required, seek advice from their local Asset Management Unit as soon as the development application notifications are received and well before the closing date of the notification.
- School Infrastructure NSW (SINSW):
- The Statutory Planning team within SINSW is responsible for responding to State Significant Development and State Significant Infrastructure applications, Planning Proposals, Local Environmental Plan amendments, Development Control Plan amendments and other strategic land use documents that are considered likely to impact on the operation of a school and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff and the school community.
- For projects listed under section 4.3.1, the Statutory Planning team proactively monitors relevant planning documents and instruments, and engages with schools as appropriate. This monitoring and engagement should occur alongside the existing responsibilities held by other stakeholders, as outlined under Part 4 of this policy.
- SINSW considers likely impacts of the development application, and engages with relevant executive directors/directors and school principals to prepare a coordinated response if required.
- SINSW Regional Asset Management Units:
- in consultation with SINSW Statutory Planning, are responsible for providing advice, regarding development application notifications and proposed objections, to executive directors, directors, educational leadership and principals.
- Principals:
- Monitoring and review
- The Director, Statutory Planning and Sustainability monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.
- Contact
- Director, Statutory Planning and Sustainability, SINSW
StatutoryPlanning@det.nsw.edu.au
- Director, Statutory Planning and Sustainability, SINSW