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More than a decade after its last comprehensive planning framework was adopted, serious questions are now being raised in the NSW Parliament about delays in updating the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) for the Hawkesbury.
Business organisations and residents have over the past two weeks asked Members of the NSW Legislative Council Budget Estimates Committee to question Ministers about why progress on the Hawkesbury City Council LEP continues to stall.
The last full LEP adopted by the council was completed in 2012, and parts of the so-called “Housekeeping LEP 2015” remain unresolved years later.
For businesses, landowners and residents, the delay is far more than an administrative issue. Planning certainty affects housing supply, investment decisions, infrastructure planning, flood resilience and economic confidence across the region.
A Cycle of Delay
Local business groups say they have been in regular contact with council to understand why progress on the LEP has been so slow.
Council representatives have reportedly told stakeholders that delays were being caused by the NSW Department of Planning.
However, when business groups contacted the Department directly, they were provided with correspondence dates showing when formal requests or advice had been issued to the council along with confirmation that responses from council were still outstanding.
According to stakeholders, the situation has created what they describe as a cycle of delay:
- Council attributes delays to the Department
- The Department provides evidence it is awaiting council responses
- Business groups present the documentation to councillors
- No immediate corrective action is guaranteed
- External pressure is required to keep progress moving
Business leaders say the process often only advances when stakeholders continue pushing for answers.
One business representative described the situation bluntly.
“Planning certainty underpins jobs, housing, infrastructure and investment. When the LEP stalls, the whole region stalls.”
Why the LEP Matters
The Hawkesbury occupies one of the most complex planning environments in New South Wales.
The region sits at the intersection of floodplain risk, agricultural land protection, environmental conservation and population growth.
Without an updated planning framework, stakeholders say major decisions become harder to make with confidence.
The delayed LEP is affecting:
- Industrial land supply along key economic corridors
- Agricultural land protections
- Housing availability
- Disaster recovery and flood resilience planning
- Coordination of major infrastructure projects
In a region prone to severe flood events and facing increasing development pressure, business groups say the absence of a modern strategic planning framework creates uncertainty for investors and the community alike.
Governance Questions Raised
The delay is also raising broader questions about governance and accountability.
Under NSW planning laws, councils are responsible for preparing LEPs and responding to technical requests from the State government.
The Department assesses strategic merit and compliance with State policy, but it relies on councils to provide the necessary information.
When councils fail to respond to requests in a timely manner, the assessment process cannot proceed.
Stakeholders say the public currently has little visibility into where delays are occurring.
Business organisations are now calling for:
- Public reporting of outstanding Department requests
- Clear response timeframes for council
- Regular progress updates on the LEP
- A firm timeline for completion
They say transparency is essential to restore confidence in the planning system.
Questions to Budget Estimates
Community organisations and business groups asked MPs to raise the following questions during Budget Estimates hearings in the New South Wales Parliament.
1. Council Response Obligations
What mechanisms does the NSW Government have to compel a council to respond in a timely manner to Departmental requests relating to an LEP?
2. State Intervention Threshold
At what point does prolonged delay in progressing an LEP trigger state intervention or a performance review?
3. Regional Planning Risks
What assessment has the Department made of risks to housing supply, employment land delivery, flood resilience planning and infrastructure coordination caused by Hawkesbury operating under a planning framework last comprehensively updated in 2012?
4. Transparency of Correspondence
Will the Minister commit to publishing a clear timeline outlining:
a. The date the Department last wrote to Hawkesbury Council regarding the LEP
b. The matters awaiting response
c. The expected timeframe for completion?
5. Public Progress Reporting
Will the Minister require Hawkesbury Council to provide monthly public reporting on progress toward finalising its LEP?
6. Governance Action if Delays Continue
If delays persist, will the Minister consider additional oversight measures such as a performance improvement order or other governance actions to ensure delivery?
A Planning Framework More Than a Decade Old
With the Hawkesbury facing growth pressures, increasing disaster risks and complex land-use challenges, business leaders say the region cannot afford indefinite delays.
They argue the issue is not political but practical.
Until the LEP is finalised, they say, the Hawkesbury will continue operating under a planning framework more than a decade out of date, leaving uncertainty for residents, businesses and future development across the region.
The Gazette will follow this story.
