Publication
Ireland
On 31 October 2023, the Screening of Third Country Transactions Act 2023 (the “Act”), which establishes a new foreign direct investment ("FDI") screening regime in Ireland, was enacted.
Global | Publication | March 2018
On 23 November 2017, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 2017 (the Amendment Act) was passed.
Most of the changes introduced by the Amendment Act came into effect on 1 March 2018. Some of the remaining changes will commence in stages in order to provide a transition period for the government, community and industry to adapt to the new scheme.
The objects of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) have been updated to include the promotion of:
The Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) has been renamed as the IPC. The functions of the IPC are largely the same as the former PAC. The public hearing process has also been improved to provide the community with opportunities to present their concerns at an early stage of the assessment.
While the previous regional planning panels continue outside of Sydney, the updated EP&A Act establishes five Sydney district planning panels for the Greater Sydney Region, which replace the Sydney Planning Panels introduced in 2016. The Sydney district and regional planning panels determine ‘regionally significant’ development applications (DAs) over certain thresholds. Note that property developers and real estate agents cannot be members of these panels.
In a major change, Local Planning Panels (LPPs), formerly known as Independent Hearing and Assessment Panels, must now be constituted for all councils in Greater Sydney and Wollongong. These panels, once established, will have the approval functions of council for DAs that meet the referral criteria set out in a direction of the Minister of Planning.
LPPs are now required to give written reasons for their decisions regarding DAs and make them publicly available on a website of, or used by, the relevant panel. However, a decision is not invalid merely because of a failure to give or publish the reasons. In a council area for which a LPP is constituted, councillors are not permitted to exercise the functions of a council as a consent authority. For councils outside of Greater Sydney and Wollongong, it is not mandatory to establish a LPP.
Although standard practice already, public authorities are now required to consult with other authorities before commencing work in infrastructure corridors.
Regulators are now able to negotiate an enforceable undertaking with perpetrators to remedy a breach. These undertakings may include recovery of profits gained from the breach, compensation to affected parties, and making good on damage to the natural or built environment.
Transitional Part 3A provisions, which were introduced following the 2011 repeal of Part 3A of the EP&A Act, have been removed. Future modifications of Part 3A projects will need to be assessed as State Significant Development or State Significant Infrastructure.
The Minister for Planning now has the power to direct councils as to the methodology to be used when entering into voluntary planning agreements (VPAs).
Unfortunately, long-known and familiar concepts and sections have been changed via a renumbering of the whole of the EP&A Act. A schedule is available online to compare old sections with the new. The regulation supporting the commencement of the changes to the EP&A Act provides that a reference to an old section is taken to be a reference to a new section, so that forms and templates referring to old sections of the EP&A Act can still be used.
Timeframe | New change |
---|---|
Mid to late 2018 | Changes to concurrences and referrals, new Step-In power of Planning Secretary |
Late 2018 | Requirement for councils to perform regular Local Environmental Plan checks Introduction of ‘dormant’ conditions for major projects Building and subdivision changes |
Mid 2019 | Requirement to prepare local strategic planning statements (Sydney Councils) |
Late 2019 | Requirement to prepare community participation plans Improvements to complying development, including new stop work orders |
Mid 2020 | Standard format Development Control Plans |
For more information on how the changes apply to your situation please contact the Norton Rose Fulbright team.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Emilija Rupsys in preparing this article.
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On 31 October 2023, the Screening of Third Country Transactions Act 2023 (the “Act”), which establishes a new foreign direct investment ("FDI") screening regime in Ireland, was enacted.
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