Common terms and their meanings

‘Council’

Comprises Councillors and Council staff

BLEP 1988 or ‘the LEP’

Byron Local Environmental Plan 1988. Consists of the zoning requirements, other provisions and relevant maps.

DA

development application - an application to carry out development. They are assessed according to the requirements of state planning legislation.

DCP

Development Control Plan. Prepared and approved by local councils under the provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. A DCP may refine or supplement the controls in an LEP by setting out the controls that apply to a particular type/s of development in an area. They can apply to all or part of an LGA.

DIPNR

NSW Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources, the state department responsible for planning.  Now the Department of Planning (see below).

DoP

NSW Department of Planning, the state department responsible for planning (was DIPNR).

Environmental Planning Instrument

a state environmental planning policy (SEPP) or a local environmental plan (LEP) that is made under the provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Gazettal

the publishing of new legislation. New legislation in NSW is published in the NSW Government Gazette. The date of gazettal of an LEP is the date from which it is effective.

LEP

Local Environmental Plan. Prepared by local councils and approved by the State government Minister for Planning. They typically outline land use zones and permissible development within those zones. They may also contain other provisions e.g. heritage, tree preservation, subdivision and multiple occupancies. They can apply to all or part of an LGA. LEPs may be amended.

LGA

local government area, synonymous with Shire

PC

NSW Parliamentary Counsel’s Office. It is a government department whose functions are to draft, develop and publish legislation and provide advice and information. During the LEP amendment process they provide an opinion on some aspects of the draft LEP amendment.

The Minister

the State government Minister for Planning.