Development and Planning Amendment Act 2024

What this bill does

This bill changes planning rules to allow the Development Applications Board to approve building projects that were done without proper permission first. Currently, these "after-the-fact" applications must be rejected by the Board and only the Minister can approve them on appeal.

If passed (voted YES)

• The Development Applications Board can directly approve retroactive planning applications for buildings constructed without permission
• Property owners won't automatically need to appeal to the Minister when seeking approval for work already completed
• The approval process for after-the-fact development applications becomes potentially faster and more streamlined

If rejected (voted NO)

• The current system remains where the Board must refuse all retroactive development applications
• Property owners seeking approval for unauthorized work must continue to appeal to the Minister
• The two-step process (Board rejection, then Ministerial appeal) stays in place for all after-the-fact applications

Who it affects

This primarily affects property owners who have built extensions, made modifications, or carried out other development work without getting planning permission first. It also impacts the Development Applications Board and planning officials who process these applications.