Planning Agreements

Planning Agreements (PAs, also commonly referred to as VPAs) are voluntary agreements entered into by Council and a developer  under Section 7.4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to deliver public benefits.These include the dedication of land to Council, monetary contributions, public infrastructure, community facilities, affordable housing, any other material public benefit or any combination of these. PAs are often entered into when a developer has sought a change to an environmental planning instrument or as part of a development application.

Matters often addressed under planning agreements include:

• The provision of (or the recoupment of the cost of providing) public amenities or public services
• The provision of (or the recoupment of the cost of providing) affordable housing
• The provision of (or the recoupment of the cost of providing) transport or other infrastructure relating to land
• The funding of recurrent expenditure relating to the provision of public amenities or public services, affordable housing or transport or other infrastructure
• The monitoring of the planning impacts of development
• The conservation or enhancement of the natural environment

Under a PA, a person may be required to dedicate land free of cost, pay a financial contribution or provide some other material public benefit in consideration of the above matters.

Council maintains a Register of Planning Agreements that have been entered into by Council.

Individual PAs that have been entered into by Council are listed below:

• Ravensworth Coal Operations Pty Ltd
• Liddell Coal Operations Pty Ltd
• Bulga Coal Operations Pty Ltd
• Mt Thorley Warkworth