State planning

Resource Management and Planning System (RMPS)
Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Schedule 1 Objectives – Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993
Planning Directives
State Policies and Projects Act 1993

Resource Management and Planning System (RMPS)

In the early 1990's the Tasmanian government developed a set of objectives for resource management and planning. These objectives are included as a Schedule to each of the Acts that form part of the integrated system. There are a number of provisions within these Acts requiring that specific functions must ‘seek to further the objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System’. The principal Acts forming the RMPS, in which the Commission has a major role, are the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993, State Policies and Projects Act 1993 and the Tasmanian Planning Commission Act 1997.

The objectives of the RMPS are:
  • to promote the sustainable development of natural and physical resources and the maintenance of ecological processes and genetic diversity
  • to provide for the fair, orderly and sustainable use and development of air, land and water
  • to encourage public involvement in resource management and planning
  • to facilitate economic development in accordance with the objectives set out in the above paragraphs
  • to promote the sharing of responsibility for resource management and planning between the different spheres of government, the community and industry in the State.

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Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993

The Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 was introduced in 1994 as part of the RMPS.  This Act establishes processes for:

  • approving and amending planning schemes;
  • approving interim planning schemes;
  • recognising regional land use strategies;
  • assessing permit applications;
  • assessing planning directives;
  • assessing projects of regional significance;
  • notification for discretionary applications;
  • appealing against the decision of a council;
  • enforcement provisions to ensure use and development complies with a planning scheme or a  permit; and
  • planning agreements.

The Act requires consistency between planning schemes and regional land use strategies.

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Schedule 1 Objectives – Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993

Schedule 1 Objectives of the Act includes both the objectives of the RMPS (Part 1) and the objectives of the planning process established by the Act (Part 2).

Part 2, Schedule 1 objectives are:

(a)  to require sound strategic planning and co-ordinated action by State and local government; and
(b) to establish a system of planning instruments to be the principal way of setting objectives, policies and controls for the use, development and protection of land; and
(c) to ensure that the effects on the environment are considered and provide for explicit consideration of social and economic effects when decisions are made about the use and development of land; and
(d)  to require land use and development planning and policy to be easily integrated with environmental, social, economic, conservation and resource management policies at State, regional and municipal levels; and
(e) to provide for the consolidation of approvals for land use or development and related matters, and to co-ordinate planning approvals with related approvals; and
(f)  to secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all Tasmanians and visitors to Tasmania; and
(g) to conserve those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value; and
(h)  to protect public infrastructure and other assets and enable the orderly provision and co-ordination of public utilities and other facilities for the benefit of the community; and
(i)   to provide a planning framework which fully considers land capability.

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Planning Directives

A planning directive is a mechanism that provides direction on a wide range of planning matters including:

  • land use issues requiring consistency across all municipal areas;
  • land use issues unique to one or only some municipal areas;
  • procedural matters associated with the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 or a State Policy; or
  • any other matter the Minister considers appropriate.

Anyone, including councils, government agencies, individuals and the Commission can prepare a draft planning directive. Read more about the assessment process.

There are five planning directives that have been issued by the Minister for Planning.

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State Policies and Projects Act 1993

State Policies

State Policies represent the government's overarching position on sustainable development policy issues and may contain matters relating to one or more of the following:

  • sustainable development of natural and physical resources; land use planning; land management; environmental management; environment protection; or
  • any other matter that may be prescribed.

A State Policy:

  • must seek to further the RMPS objectives;
  • may be made only where there is a matter of State significance to be dealt with in the State Policy;
  • must seek to ensure that a consistent and co-ordinated approach is maintained throughout the State with regard to the State Policy; and
  • must incorporate the minimum amount of regulation necessary to obtain its objectives.

Current State Policies are:

National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) are automatically adopted as State Policies under section 12A of the State Policies and Projects Act 1993 and are administered by the Environment Protection Authority. They are developed under the National Environmental Protection Council (Tasmania) Act 1995 and outline nationally common objectives to protect or manage aspects of the environment relating to any one or more of the following:

  • ambient air quality;
  • ambient marine, estuarine and fresh water quality;
  • the protection of amenity in relation to noise (including motor vehicle noise and emissions;
    general guidelines for the assessment of site contamination;
  • environmental impacts associated with hazardous wastes;
  • the re-use and recycling of used materials.

The following NEPMs have been adopted as Tasmanian State Polices:

  • National Environment Protection (Used Packaging Materials) Measure;
  • National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure;
  • National Environment Protection (Movement of Controlled Waste Between States and
    Territories) Measure;
  • National Environment Protection (National Pollutant Inventory) Measure;
  • National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure;
  • National Environment Protection (Diesel Vehicle Emissions) measure; and
  • National Environment Protection (Air Toxics) measure.

See the Environment Protection and Heritage Council website for more information.

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