Councils covering St George and Sutherland Shire may soon have to refer all development applications (DAs) above a certain value to an independent planning panel for a decision.
Fairfax Media reported Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Planning Minister Anthony Roberts were considering the change alongside a suite of housing affordability measures to go to cabinet on Thursday.
At present, independent hearing and assessment panels (IHAPs) are optional, and those councils which have them decide what applications are referred.
Sutherland Shire Council has had an IHAP for several years, and the administrators of Georges River Council and Bayside Council quickly established the system.
The panels consider DAs of various values and are different to regional panels, established by the state government, which determine DAs with a value above $20 million.
Fairfax Media reported the move to make planning panels mandatory for DAs above a certain value is being seen within government as a probity measure that is hoped will also trump the Opposition's call for property developers to be banned from election to local government.
Opposition Leader Luke Foley called for the ban following the furore over the business dealings of former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer.
The final shape of the independent panels has yet to be decided but it is likely they would operate in a similar fashion to the existing IHAPs, Fairfax Media said.
Typically IHAPs are comprised of experts in planning, architecture, urban design as well as community representatives.
Cabinet will also consider the value of a project that would trigger the automatic referral to the independent panel.
Mr Roberts told Fairfax Media: “IHAPs have been part of the government's consultation on planning reform since January and, since then, we've been looking at all planning reforms through the lens of solving the challenge of housing affordability.
“IHAPs are already working in some local government areas very successfully, where they're a valuable probity and integrity measure to ensure we have the best planning approval regime possible."
