NSW Statewide Community Participation Plan

From 1 September 2026, all planning authorities across New South Wales, including local councils and NSW Government agencies with key planning approval functions, must use the NSW Statewide Community Participation Plan (CPP) in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

As a result, existing council Community Participation Plans and relevant NSW Government agency participation plans no longer apply. For Bellingen Shire Council, this means the current Community Participation Plan will be replaced by the statewide CPP, and part of Council's Community Engagement Strategy 2025 relating to planning matters will be superseded.

Bellingen Shire Council’s Community Participation Plan forms part of its broader Community Engagement Strategy and Community Participation Plan, which sets out Council’s overall approach to engaging with the community as well as the statutory requirements for community participation in planning matters. With the NSW Statewide Community Participation Plan taking effect from 1 September 2026, Council is awaiting further advice from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure on the review of its adopted Strategy to ensure the planning-related sections reflect the new statewide requirements. Council’s broader commitments and approach to community engagement remain in place.

What is the Community Participation Plan?

The Community Participation Plan (CPP) sets out how and when planning authorities engage with communities and stakeholders during planning and development decision-making processes. The plan provides a clear and consistent framework that explains when the community can participate in planning decisions and how planning authorities must notify and consult with the public.

What does the Community Participation Plan cover?

The CPP outlines community participation requirements for:

Development Applications (DAs)
Planning Proposals
Strategic planning documents
Other planning and development-related proposals

It also establishes requirements for public notification and exhibition, including notification to adjoining landowners and the wider community where applicable.

Why has a statewide CPP been introduced?

The statewide CPP aims to create a consistent approach to community participation across NSW.

This means:

Community consultation processes are easier to understand.
Exhibition timeframes are standardised across the state.
Planning processes are more transparent and consistent.
Residents have equal opportunities to participate in planning decisions, regardless of where they live.

How community participation requirements vary

Different planning functions require different levels of community participation, depending on scale, complexity, and potential impacts on the community. The new CPP ensures exhibition and consultation requirements are proportionate to the nature of the proposal.

For example, draft strategic plans generally require longer exhibition periods because they:

Set long-term planning directions
Identify future housing and employment needs
Guide infrastructure planning
Support the development of connected communities

However, local development applications which are considered to have a low impact may not require public exhibition in the new CPP due to their limited scale and potential impacts.

This is different from how Bellingen Shire Council has previously notified and exhibited local development, which would have been placed on public exhibition and had adjacent landowners notified.

This allows community participation efforts to focus on proposals that are more likely to affect the wider community.

However, all development applications continue to be assessed on their merits. Consent authorities must consider all relevant planning matters, including:

Privacy impacts
Overshadowing
Heritage significance
Environmental considerations
Other applicable planning controls and requirements

More information

For further information about the NSW Statewide Community Participation Plan, visit the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure website:

https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/the-planning-system/environmental-planning-and-assessment-act-1979/community-participation-plans