In December 2011, the Department of Local Government engaged TCorp to assist with the development of the NSW government’s Local Infrastructure Renewal Scheme (LIRS). The LIRS initiative seeks to assist in addressing Councils’ ‘Infrastructure Backlog’ by providing Councils with an interest rate subsidy on borrowings from the private sector for the funding of qualifying projects. (more…)
The QPR Blog
…local government stuff you never even thought to ask about…
Much Ado About Nothing
Generally considered one of Shakespeare’s best comedies, the title of this post seemed quite appropriate given both the matter at hand and The Bard’s use of pun in the title of his play. In Elizabethan times, the words “nothing” and “noting” were homonyms (they were pronounced the same way), and while “nothing” retains its same meaning today, “noting” was a reference to gossip, rumour and overhearing. As with many Shakespearian works, the play loses little relevance with the passage of time. (more…)
Lost in Translation
Creating the new PLEP has been a challenge for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that the new legislation is based on a standardised template, the so-called Standard Instrument, which underpins all new NSW LEPs. The main problem with the Standard Instrument, in the present context, is that it introduces a completely new dictionary of land use and land use zone names that have a limited relationship to existing land use or zone names. (more…)
Waste Management Surveys
The results of waste management surveys conducted during February/March in the Carwoola/Primrose Valley and Sutton East areas will be presented to Council at its April General Meeting. The following is a summary of the results. (more…)
Rural Subdivision
From time to time, I am approached by residents in rural residential areas who would like to subdivide their property. They are usually older residents who see this as an opportunity to raise a bit of extra capital, and at the same time reduce the size of the property they have to maintain. The properties in question are usually around 4-12 ha (10-30 acres) in size. (more…)
Existing Use Rights
As all the insomniacs in the shire read through the draft Palerang Local Environmental Plan (PLEP) in search of enlightenment, a number of people have asked about the application of existing land use rights in the context of this new planning instrument.
Existing use rights allow any land use that is legally practiced under a previous planning instrument to carry forward under a new planning instrument whether or not it is consistent with the provisions of the new instrument. (more…)
PLEP Land Use Zones
Property owners will have recently received a letter from Palerang Council advising that the zoning of their land will change under the new Palerang Local Environmental Plan (PLEP). In most cases, the consequences of the change will be at most minimal, but I thought it might be of interest to explain what’s going on.
The main purpose of land use zoning, as the name implies, is to control land use in various parts of the shire. (more…)
Macs Reef Road WTS DA Approved
It’s taken a while, but development approval for the Macs Reef Road waste transfer station was finally granted by a special sitting of the Joint Regional Planning Panel today (24 January 2013). Members of the Panel were quite complimentary in noting the level of community involvement with the project, remaking that while not unheard of, it was quite unusual for projects like this.
The new facility will be constructed in the area between the existing landfill and Macs Reef Road and is due for completion by the middle of 2014, in the same time frame as the Bungendore waste transfer station. The current landfill will remain open until the new waste transfer station is operational, at which time it will be closed an rehabilitated in accordance with the conditions of consent for the new facility. (more…)