A Gunnedah shire councillor says a law seminar has provided valuable insights into legal developments and strategic thinking in local government planning and environmental law.
Councillor Cameron Moore attended the Marsden Law Group 2025 Local Government, Planning and Environmental Law Conference on behalf of Gunnedah Shire Council.
The elected representative said the conference program was comprehensive, addressing several critical areas for councils.
Cr Moore said key points for Gunnedah included considerations such as proactive legislative preparednes.
He said the session highlighted significant amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and biodiversity legislation.
“We must remain vigilant regarding proposed changes to planning and environmental legislation,” Cr Moore said.
“Our planning department should regularly review and prepare for these changes to ensure Gunnedah shire’s local environment plan and development control plans remain compliant and effective.”
In June, Gunnedah Shire Council adopted a revised development plan. This plan provides a specific, more comprehensive guideline for certain types of development, or area specific requirements for localities.
Cr Moore also noted the importance of “robust decision-making” at council. He said conference attendees were briefed on case studies which underscored the need for meticulous record-keeping, clear reasoning, and adherence to statutory requirements in all council planning decisions.
“This minimises our exposure to costly legal challenges,” Cr Moore said.
Discussion also included the challenges of “planning certainty” in local government.
“While Gunnedah is not experiencing the same growth pressures as metropolitan areas, fostering a predictable and efficient planning environment is crucial for attracting investment and supporting local development,” Cr Moore said.
“We should continue to advocate for clarity from the state government on policy direction.”
The conference covered housing needs and varying development standards.
Cr Moore said Gunnedah should consider the “diverse housing needs of our community, including affordability and different dwelling types”.
Council recently revised its local housing strategy which suggested incentives for affordable housing, encouraging secondary dwellings as an alternative affordable housing option in all residential zones and investigating public land for conversion to housing in partnership with housing providers.
Cr Moore said bushfire risk management in planning was another area for discussion at the law seminar.
“Given our rural and bushfire-prone areas, the emphasis on rigorous bushfire risk assessment in development applications is a critical learning,” he said.
Seminar attendees were also briefed on proposed reforms to the Model Code of Meeting Practice and Code of Conduct.
According the NSW Government, the changes aim to simplify the Model Meeting Code and ensure councillors are making decisions in the full view of the communities they are elected to represent.
Cr Moore’s report was endorsed by colleagues who described it as a “succinct and worthwhile report” and an “excellent presentation” for the information of council.
Cr Moore said understanding the planning sector has been a challenge for the first-term councillor but there was some reassurance that he was not alone.
“It was refreshing to hear from the lawyers (at the conference) that they find it just as confusing,” Cr Moore said.
