Responding to planning notifications
Direction and guidance on what actions to take when receiving planning notifications from local councils and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for nearby properties or premises.
Audience
All NSW public schools and department staff who receive a planning notification for public consultation from a planning authority.
| Version | Last updated | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| V01.0.0 | 13/05/2024 | Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, consolidated instructions previously provided in the Development application notifications for neighbouring developments (responding to) policy. | Secretary, NSW Department of Education |
About the policy
This procedure supports the Asset management policy.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ASO | Asset Services Officer. They provide advice and support to schools and are the primary point of contact in the local School Infrastructure Regional Office for asset-related matters. |
| EFSG | Educational Facilities Standards and Guidelines |
| School Infrastructure | The School Infrastructure division manages the department’s Asset Management Framework in compliance with the NSW Treasury Policy for asset management (TPP19-07). It is responsible for the Asset Management Policy and related procedures. |
Principals:
- notify their local Asset Services Officer (ASO) when the school receives a planning notification
- provide advice and raise any concerns with School Infrastructure Regional Office staff and the Director, Educational Leadership if the planning notification is likely to impact the current or future school operation and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community.
Asset Services Officers:
- provide advice and support to schools as the primary point of contact in the local School Infrastructure Regional Office for asset-related matters, including responding to planning notifications
- seek advice about planning notifications from other School Infrastructure Regional Office staff members and agree on the best approach to seek expert advice from School Infrastructure Statutory Planning
- communicate any key developments about the planning notification to principals and Directors, Educational Leadership.
School Infrastructure Regional Offices:
- consult with School Infrastructure Statutory Planning on planning notifications that are likely to impact a school’s operation and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community to determine the next steps
- convey input from principals to School Infrastructure Statutory Planning about planning notifications that are likely to impact the school’s current or future operation and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community. This is done in consultation with Executive Directors, Directors, Educational Leadership and principals (if needed) to determine the next steps.
Directors, Educational Leadership and/or Executive Directors, Public Schools:
- consult with School Infrastructure Regional Office (including Asset Services Officers, Group Leaders, Senior Group Leaders and Regional Office Directors) on planning notifications that are likely to impact a school’s operation and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff or the school community to determine the next steps.
School Infrastructure Statutory Planning:
- provide advice and support to School Infrastructure Regional Office and the Asset Services Officer on planning notifications
- review and assess the likely impacts of planning notifications and engage with relevant Executive Directors, Directors, Directors, Educational Leadership, principals and internal School Infrastructure teams (including Transport, Heritage, Property, Service Need and Sustainability) to prepare a coordinated response
- respond to development application notifications on behalf of schools
- provide clear advice and instruction to School Infrastructure Regional Office and the Asset Services Officer about the approach.
Director, Statutory Planning and/or Group Director Technical Services, and/or Group Executive Director, Operations:
- endorse responses prepared by School Infrastructure Statutory Planning on planning notifications that are likely to impact a school’s operation and/or affect the health and safety of students, staff and the school community. These could include planning notifications for:
- State Significant Development applications
- State Significant Infrastructure applications
- development applications
- planning proposals
- development control plan amendments
- strategic land use documents.
What needs to be done
School staff must refer planning notifications to their local School Infrastructure Regional Office for action.
Note – school community representatives may respond to planning notifications that could affect the school's operation or the health and safety of students, staff, or the school community. However, School Infrastructure will not make representations to planning authorities on their behalf.
1. Refer planning notifications
Principals and school staff must email the planning notification to their local Asset Services Officer (ASO) in a timely manner. Scan and attach any mail-based notifications.
Staff can raise any known impacts of the proposed development in the email.
2. Consult and seek expert advice
The ASO will be the main point of contact for school staff, and will:
- forward the email, in a timely manner, to the School Infrastructure Statutory Planning team inbox
- include in the email, any additional issues raised by School Infrastructure Regional Office
- escalate the matter within their School Infrastructure Regional Office reporting lines, if needed
- inform the principal or delegate and the Director, Educational Leadership of any subsequent actions or if further input is needed from Public Schools or the principal.
3. Respond to planning notifications
School Infrastructure Statutory Planning will:
- triage all planning notifications and determine the next steps
- respond to all planning notifications.
If there is no further action, School Infrastructure Statutory Planning will inform the ASO by email, who will then inform the principal or school staff.
If action is required, School Infrastructure Statutory Planning will work with School Infrastructure Regional Office to communicate with schools about the next steps.
If the proposed development may have negative impacts on the school, the appropriate School Infrastructure team will prepare and submit an endorsed response detailing the identified issues or concerns to the relevant planning authority within the given timeframe. For example, developments that:
- may adversely impact the current or future operations or safety of the school
- are likely to cause difficulty with the normal functioning of the school.
Record-keeping requirements
Formal responses prepared by School Infrastructure Statutory Planning will be saved in HP Content Manager/TRIM.
Supporting tools, resources and related information
Relevant policies and legislation include but are not limited to:
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations 2021
- Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
- Heritage Act 1977
- National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974
- Rural Fires Act 1997
- Water Management Act 2000
- related state environmental planning policies
- applicable council local environmental plans
- applicable council development control plans
Policy contact
For principals and delegate/s:
- Local Asset Services Officer (different school to school – individual ASO contact number and email details are available through FMWeb 2.0).
The Group Executive Director, Operations, School Infrastructure monitors the implementation of this procedure and regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.