Blue Mountains City Council

Background and Supporting Studies

Preliminary

A number of background and supporting studies were prepared to assist Council in the development and application of LEP 2005. These studies were undertaken to update and expand on information gathered for EMP 2, and the exhibition of Draft LEP 1997.

These studies were exhibited with Draft LEP 2002 between October and December 2002. While LEP 2005 has been gazetted, these studies may still provide further information to assist prospective applicants, or the public generally, when looking at land use planning matters within the Blue Mountains.

Environmental Management Plan 2002 (EMP 2002)

Environmental Management Plan 2002 (EMP 2002) provides new information to describe the contemporary approaches used in the preparation of LEP 2005. EMP 2002 is not a formal environmental study under section 57 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Environmental Management Plan No. 2, which supported Draft LEP 1997, continues to serve as the formal environmental study for the purpose of the LEP process.

EMP 2002 updates Environmental Management Plan No. 2, with new constraints mapping and a range of studies to publicly explain and justify the approach taken by LEP 2005.

EMP 2002 comprises a two-volume planning study, supporting maps, the Residential Development Strategy and Accessible Housing Strategy.

(A) EMP 2002 Volume 1 Planning Framework
EMP 2002 Volume 1 identifies the planning principles, aims and strategies that have emerged from the review of Draft LEP 1997, to form the basis for LEP 2005. It shows how Council has responded to Commissioner Carleton's recommendations (made in response to the Public Hearing into Draft LEP 1997), and explains the rationale behind the application of land-use zones, protected areas, precincts, heritage and other provisions within LEP 2005. Volume 1 concludes with a discussion of the implications of LEP 2005 for each of the key planning principles underpinning the plan.

(B) EMP 2002 Volume 2 Planning Context
EMP 2002 Volume 2 describes and explores the characteristics of the social, natural, built and economic environments of the Blue Mountains and sets the context in which the planning framework for LEP 2005 was developed. It builds on the planning context of Environmental Management Plan No. 2 through the planning studies, investigations and contemporary data prepared as part of the review process described in Volume 1.

(C) Residential Development Strategy 2002
The Residential Development Strategy (RDS) is a document that sets out Councils plan for future residential development within the Blue Mountains. The overall strategy aims to concentrate future development in the existing villages and towns, and limit the amount of new development in outer rural and bushland areas. This means that the outlying environmentally sensitive areas are protected from the impacts of development, and that houses are built close to the services and facilities that people need.

Council has written the RDS to obtain exemption from a State policy governing residential development. State Environmental Planning Policy No. 53 Metropolitan Residential Development (SEPP 53) applies to all local government areas which do not have an approved Residential Development Strategy. Having an approved RDS allows Council to tailor future residential development in response to the unique planning context of the Blue Mountains. In the absence of such a strategy, SEPP 53 would apply to the Blue Mountains.

In 1996, Council prepared a Residential Development Strategy (RDS 1996) to obtain exemption from SEPP 53 for the Blue Mountains and to supplement Environmental Management Plan No. 2. Council was granted an exemption to SEPP 53 on the basis of RDS 1996 and on the undertaking that the strategy would be implemented through Draft LEP 1997.

Residential Development Strategy 2002 (RDS 2002) was prepared to revise and update RDS 1996 in line with the land use strategy proposed under Draft LEP 2002. Importantly, RDS 2002 maintains the principles and commitments of the earlier RDS. However, it allocates higher-density residential zones on the basis of accurate environmental information, character assessment studies and intensive community consultation. RDS 2002 supports EMP 2002 and LEP 2005, and provides the basis for continued exemption from SEPP 53.

(D) Accessible Housing Strategy
The Accessible Housing Strategy (AHS) is a document that outlines Councils plan to provide housing for older people and people with a disability within the Blue Mountains.
The State Environmental Planning Policy (Seniors Living) 2004 (Seniors Living) currently applies to most local government areas in New South Wales. It allows the development of housing for older people and people with a disability (accessible housing) in certain areas that are close to services and facilities, regardless of local planning controls.

Recently the State Government has announced that councils may be granted an exemption to the Seniors Living policy if they make adequate provision for accessible housing in their local planning controls. Councils AHS explains the strategy for providing accessible housing under LEP 2005. This strategy forms the basis of Councils submission to the NSW Department of Planning seeking exemption to the Seniors Living policy for the Blue Mountains.

Exemption is based on the inclusion of appropriate controls for accessible housing within LEP 2005. The AHS identifies the supply and demand factors affecting accessible housing, and outlines ways in which the LEP 2005 provides for the needs of older people and people with a disability without compromising the environmental capacity or recognised character values of land in the Blue Mountains. The AHS was endorsed by Council at its meeting of 30 April 2002.

Other Supporting Documents
EMP 2002 is also supported by a range of separate topic-specific studies, planning investigations and updated information gathered for the purpose of the review of Environmental Management Plan No. 2 and Draft LEP 1997. The following supporting documents are available on this web site:

(i) Response to Commissioner Carletons Recommendations
This document was compiled to give a point-by-point account of Council's response to each of the Commissioner's recommendations in his review of Draft LEP 1997. It shows how LEP 2005 has addressed each of the issues raised in the 1998 Public Hearing.

(ii) Residential Character Study
This document was prepared as a background to the character mapping undertaken for LEP 2005. The study aims to identify and locate the types of character that are important to residential areas of the Blue Mountains. It provides a methodology and rationale for the application of each character type. It also provides the base information for the application of the Living–Conservation and Living–Bushland Conservation zones in LEP 2005.

(iii) Subdivision Study
This document was prepared to provide a basis for the minimum lot sizes used by LEP 2005, particularly in the Living–Conservation and Living–Bushland Conservation zones. The study provides a background and rationale for the adopted minimum lot sizes, as a specific response to one of Commissioner Carleton's key recommendations.