A Planning Proposal (also known as a rezoning application) is a document that explains proposed changes to land use planning controls that are found in a Local Environmental Plan (LEP).
A Planning Proposal details how the controls are proposed to change, for example, by changing zoning to allow different development in particular areas. It also sets out the justification for why changes are suitable for the site and an assessment of the potential impacts of the proposal.
A Planning Proposal can be prepared by anyone, but usually it is either a landowner, developer, or the local council.
A Local Environmental Plan (LEP) is a legal document that guides planning decisions by local governments. It is prepared by Council and approved by the State Government. The LEP is an important planning tool that helps shape the future of our area and ensures development is done appropriately. Controls in an LEP include land use zones, building heights, floor space ratios, flood risk management controls and also heritage protections, amongst others.
A heritage curtilage refers to the area of land (including land covered by water) surrounding a heritage item that contributes to its heritage significance and is essential for retaining and interpreting its heritage significance. Curtilage types include ‘lot boundary curtilage’, which reaches to the edge of the property lot, and ‘reduced heritage curtilage’, which is less than the lot boundary.
This Planning Proposal is not looking to make changes to the planning controls that currently apply to the site (such as the height of buildings or land use). Rather, it is seeking to amend the heritage curtilage, which currently applies to the whole site, so that it is consistent with the reduced boundary outlined as part of the State Heritage Register.
New South Wales has two main types of heritage listings known as heritage items and conservation areas. Heritage listings flag that a place or object has heritage significance. Locally significant heritage places are listed on local council Local Environmental Plans (LEPs). The State Heritage Register lists our State’s most significant heritage places and objects known as items of state heritage significance. Under the Heritage Act 1977 (NSW), an item can be both of State Heritage significance and Local Heritage significance. However, an item that is of Local Heritage significance may not necessarily also be of State Heritage significance.
The proposed reduction of the Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 listing is to align the local heritage listing in PLEP 2023 with the State Heritage Register (SHR) curtilage. It will not impact the archaeological site, as all remaining State significant historical archaeology within the site is limited to the SHR listing curtilage, and no changes are proposed to the existing SHR listed item.
The Planning Proposal will continue to protect the heritage values and character of the subject site while enabling exempt and complying development to take place under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 in the parts of the existing building excluded from the heritage listing. This will allow minor alterations to occur to the building without affecting the heritage significance of the archaeological remains.
Any future development on the subject site within the vicinity of the item will still require a Statement of Heritage Impact to address any potential impacts on the archaeological site.
Archaeological investigations were carried out on the site between May and August 2005, which led to several artefacts being discovered on the site. After this discovery, Heritage NSW requested that the owners consider an opportunity for in-situ conservation of the significant finds. The site was then developed to accommodate an in-situ conservation, now known as the Philip Ruddock Heritage Centre. As all heritage items have now been consolidated into the Heritage Centre, the reduction of the heritage curtilage will not impact the existing heritage items.
This Planning Proposal is not seeking to amend the planning controls that currently apply to the site in order to increase density on the site. Therefore, it will not result in additional demand on existing infrastructure, and hence, no planning agreement is provided to support the Proposal.
