The Minns Labor Government’s Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Planning System Reforms) Bill 2025 passed the upper house of the NSW Parliament on Tuesday November 11, Remembrance Day 2025, with the support of the opposition coalition, which means this Bill has now passed both houses.
The legislation is designed to cut red tape for developers and legislate targeted approval pathways such as the low to mid rise housing reforms.
“I am one of only four Legislative House members standing up against developer-led planning,” said Independent Member for Pittwater Jacqui Scruby MP.
Ms Scruby successfully moved an amendment to protect native habitat as part of the objects to the act when the Bill was passing through the Legislative Assembly.
Wakehurst MP Michael Regan successfully moved an amendment to ensure protections and consent requirements for bushfire prone land were reinstated.
The original draft removed both of these - and this was supported by both Labor and the Coalition prior to these two local Independents moving these amendments.
“These reforms sought to water down nature protections - I ensured they were restored to conserve all native habitat, not just that inhabited by endangered species. That amendment is a win for Pittwater and a win for NSW,” said Ms Scruby.
“Both major parties are now pro-developer, pro-low to mid rise reforms - but protecting Pittwater means preserving our tree canopy, our character, avoiding construction in bushfire and flood zones, and upholding our local planning controls.”
Ms Scruby highlighted comments from Liberal Opposition members.