Draft Armidale Regional Council Section 7.12 Development Contributions Plan – 2022 Update

Exhibition of Draft Armidale Regional Council Section 7.12 Development Contributions Plan – 2022 Update.

Council, at its meeting held on 26 October 2022 resolved to place the updated Armidale Regional Council Section 7.12 Development Contributions Plan (revised Plan) on public exhibition for a period of 28 days. Accordingly Council has prepared documents for you to download and view, and is inviting submissions on the revised Plan before being reported back to Council in December 2022.

The documents available for download include:

• The currently adopted 2018 Contributions Plan.
• A ‘mark-up’ version of the proposed Contributions Plan – showing the proposed changes to the plans.
• A ‘clean’ version of the proposed Contributions Plan (revised Plan).

Background:

Local infrastructure contributions, also known as developer contributions, are charged by Councils when new development occurs. They help fund infrastructure like open space/parks, community facilities, footpaths/cycle ways and the like.

The provisions of Section 7.12 of the NSW Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) enables Councils to impose a contribution on new development as a means of providing new or augmented services and facilities that are required as a result of the development. S7.12 contributions are an efficient way of providing funding for public amenities and services that the new development demands.

Developer contributions generally support Council’s suite of funding mechanisms and provides an alternative funding mechanism to Council to fund local infrastructure. Developer contributions can be used to fund local infrastructure and services in conjunction with:

• General rates.
• Special rate levies.
• Borrowing/loans.
• Grants and subsidies from other government agencies.
• User charges (i.e. entry fees).

Developer contributions are one of the few sources of alternative and supplementary funding available to Councils. When successfully implemented, developer contributions enhance Council’s capacity to deliver public facilities and increases Council’s ability to provide matching funding for the provisions of public amenities and services and reduces the risks associated with the reliance on external funding (i.e. grants) for the provision of public amenities and services.

Whilst the local infrastructure contributions system is set-up and legislated by the NSW Government, the system is administered by Local Government as Councils are best placed to understand the needs of their communities. Whilst Council’s prepare and adopt contribution plans, the NSW Government provides strict policy framework under which Councils collect and administer contributions. This includes legislation, ministerial directions and practice notes. The revised Plan has been prepared in accordance with the current NSW legislative framework.

Revised Plan:

The intended outcome of the revised Plan is to ensure the Contributions Plan meets the present day needs of the community, provides flexibility in the delivery of items within the current suite of Integrated Planning & Reporting (IP&R) documents, and accords with current applicable legislation.

By reviewing the contributions plan at this time, Council is ensuring that the monies that have been collected are able to be spent on projects that closely align with the community endorsed IP&R documents and the recently adopted Operational Plan and Delivery Program. The revised Plan will therefore enable the timely provision of facilities and services that the community has recently demonstrated are a key priority (confirmed via the IP&R and Region Community Plans), and will also ensure that the cost of infrastructure is shared equitably across development undertaken within the LGA, including within Council's key growth areas.

Updates to the plan include:

1. Including references to development types that the Plan relates to. This is in order to ensure consistency in the application of 7.12 contributions across developments occurring within the LGA.
2. Updating and revising the Works Schedule. This is to provide greater flexibility on the projects that can be funded by the Plan and the areas where monies will be spent.
3. Removing areas that are currently exempt from the payment of 7.12 contributions. This is to ensure consistency in the application of 7.12 contributions across developments occurring within the LGA.
4. Minor administrative and housekeeping amendments. This is to ensure the revised Plan accords with current applicable NSW Government legislation.

Feedback:

The revised Plan and supporting documentation will be on public exhibition from Friday 28th October 2022 to Friday 25 November 2022.

Submissions are invited and must be submitted to Council no later than 5.00 pm on Friday 25 November 2022.

Submissions must be addressed to the General Manager, Armidale Regional Council.

• Written submissions are accepted over the counter at either of Council’s offices at; 135 Rusden Street, Armidale, NSW, 2350; or 158 Bradley Street, Guyra, NSW, 2365 (office hours are 10am-4pm).
• Written submissions are also acceptable via post. Mail must be addressed to PO Box 75A, Armidale, NSW 2350.
• Electronic submissions are preferred and should be sent via Email to council@armidale.nsw.gov.au

Please be aware that if you make a submission, other people may have access to your comments. This may be as a result of a report to a Council meeting or as part of an application under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. Further details including disclosure forms are available on request from Council.