NSW changes planning rules for NBN

The New South Wales Government has today made amendments to the state's planning regulations in order to fast-track the National Broadband Network (NBN) roll-out.

The NSW State Government has modified the planning rules to facilitate a speedier roll-out of the National Broadband Network.(Going nowhere fast image by Nathan Eal, CC2.0)

NSW minister for planning, Tony Kelly, said that the delivery of the NBN requires a great deal of infrastructure and that the state government has taken steps to ensure that these essential facilities can be rolled out efficiently and effectively.

Previously, new developments were often subject to lengthy development approvals submitted to local councils for approval.

Under the new rules, planned infrastructure developments can be rolled out faster with certain applications classed as either an "exempt" or "complying" development.

Developments now classed in the exempt category no longer need to submit a development approval to council. Complying developments, however, are subject to a streamlined, 10-day approval process.

The NSW Planning Department displayed the changes alongside a new "Telecommunications Guideline", which details what can be classed as either exempt or complying development in terms of new telecommunications equipment.

Depending on the type of structure, a developer would be required to meet certain criteria before being eligible for the streamlined approval process or exemption.

"This approach removes the need to lodge a time-consuming and costly development application with the local council for a number of low-impact facilities," the department said in a statement.

Kelly said that the NBN is critically important to New South Wales' ongoing prosperity.

Earlier this month, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, and NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley, announced 14 new sites for the mainland NBN roll-out. In that announcement, New South Wales had Riverstone in Western Sydney and Coffs Harbour in the state's north added to the list.

These sites came after NBN Co announced the first five mainland sites in March 2010. The original announcement saw Minnamurra and Kiama Downs, as well as parts of west Armidale selected for the roll-out.