Apr 2017
We are continuing to work through the list of Institute policies that need updating, with ongoing consultation with members to ensure we are dealing with the issues that matter most to members and effectively communicating our messages to governments and the public. New policies can be developed at the instigation of the chapters, national committees and National Council.
Since our last update, we have also advocated at a state and territory level on several issues:
NSW Planning Act amendments
The former New South Wales Planning Minister, Rob Stokes, launched draft amendments at the start of the year to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Many of the amendments were first proposed as new elements of the planning system in the ill-fated Planning Bill, which was rejected by the NSW Upper House in 2013. They included:
• Protocols for councils’ engagement with communities
• Strategic planning instruments at the local level to bridge the gap between the Greater Sydney Commission’s draft District Plans and statutory local environmental plans
• and, greater standardisation of local government development control plans (architects can help to make these more visually engaging documents).
The most far-reaching change affecting architects is the proposal to include ‘good design in the built environment’ as a new objective of the Act. The NSW Chapter has applauded this very welcome innovation, as it places good design alongside other economic and social objectives. However, there is one caveat, with the chapter arguing that the wording should be changed to ‘good design of the built environment’, as the objective needs to encompass the whole of the built environment, including residential and commercial development, infrastructure, streets, parks, street trees, etc. The chapter says this would encourage proponents and consent authorities to look beyond the individual development proposal and to also consider its potential design impact on the existing and planned precinct as a whole. It says design of the spaces between individual buildings is particularly important. The chapter has also recommended the preparation of guideline documents associated with the amended Act or its regulation to clearly define ‘built environment’ and ‘good design’ from a visual, precinct-based perspective.
Greater Sydney draft District Plans
Towards the end of 2016 the Greater Sydney Commission, which had then been in existence for less than a year, released six draft District Plans for public appraisal. These provide a link between the overarching metropolitan plan at one end of the planning spectrum and local councils’ local environmental plans at the other. The commission also released its three city concepts:
• Western City, based around the proposed Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek
• Central City, based around Parramatta
• and, Eastern City, based on the global arc of economic activity from Macquarie Park in the north to Sydney Airport in the south.
The NSW Chapter generally supports the commission’s work as a game changer for the planning of the Greater Sydney region as a whole. However, it believes the draft District Plans are too long; they should explain principles clearly enough to inform the local plans; clearer references are needed to the excellent research material in the extensive background reports; and a number of governance issues need to be addressed, particularly the role of mayors in district planning. Nevertheless, the chapter regards the draft District Plans as a very good start, which demonstrate real progress in the NSW planning system, as long as they are supported by a comprehensive and responsive transport master plan, and are developed in sufficient detail to provide clear guidance for local plans.
Building documentation
The Tasmanian Practice Committee has provided a formal submission to the state’s Department of Justice in relation to the minimum level of information that should be provided on building approval documents for class 2 to 9 buildings. The Department has the Director’s Specified List – Schedule 1, which outlines the minimum requirements for design documentation for class 1 and class 10 buildings in Tasmania, and is considering expanding this approach to include class 2 to 9 buildings. Members of the Practice Committee have offered general support for the document as a guide, with some suggested clarification and amendments. The committee members are also arguing against the document being used as a checklist for use by building certifiers. The committee hopes to continue negotiations with the department over the coming months.
Better Apartments
The Victorian Chapter made two further submissions to the Director of Planning Projects (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning) in March and April, as well as attending all the reference group meetings; this was in addition to an extensive, formal submission in September. The Better Apartments Design Standards were implemented into the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes via Amendment VC136 on 13 April 2017. However, the supporting tools and process won’t be introduced until May, including apartment design guidelines and details on a design advisory service for more complex developments. While the chapter supports apartment standards to improve design outcomes and raise liveability standards, it remains concerned that appropriate levels of consumer protection are not in place as neither the use of architects nor minimum apartment sizes have been mandated, although the chapter believes that, in practise, bank lending policy will dictate minimum apartment sizes.
The chapter believes there are several positive outcomes such as energy efficiency improvements and minimum room sizes, but says an overarching framework of design excellence is missing and it has ongoing concerns about the assessment process. The chapter maintains that design quality is best achieved through shared responsibility across three crucial stages: mandating the involvement of an architect, design-based regulations and good decision making through the use of design review panels. It argues that the Victorian Government’s Better Apartments Design Standards do not adequately address two of the Institute’s ‘crucial stages’. It has requested a 12 month review of the standards and the assessment process, and remains committed to working with the government to address one of the most critical challenges of our time: affordable, amenable and sustainable housing underpinning strong communities.