Employment Zones - On Exhibition

Changes to Business and Industrial Zones 

The Department of Planning and Environment is currently exhibiting the translation of existing Business and Industrial zones into the new Employment zones. The exhibition is being held on the department’s Planning Portal for 6 weeks from Tuesday 31 May 2022 to 4.30pm Tuesday 12 July 2022. 

This is the implementation stage of a reform that replaces Business and Industrial zones with Employment zones within individual local environmental plans across NSW. Implementation follows the introduction the Employment zones within the Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 in December 2021.

The Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) proposed amendments to the Central Darling Local Environmental Plan 2012  for the new draft Employment Zones are as follows:

  • Change the current Local Centre B2 Zone to Village RU5 Zone.
  • Change the current General Residential R1 Zone to Village RU5 Zone.
  • Change the current IN1 General Industrial Zone and IN2 Light Industrial Zone to E4 General Industrial Zone.

The Department of Planning and Environment explanation for these changes are as follows:

Wilcannia will be rezoned from R1 General Residential and B2 Local Centre to RU5 Village to better align with the strategic intent for the town to enable greater flexibility of land uses.

  • Land use permissibility expanded consistent with intent of the reform.
  • Objectives amended to reflect strategic intent of zones.
  • RI General Residential Zone deleted from Local Environmental Plan (Central Darling Local Environmental Plan 2012) as it has now been replaced by RU5 Village Zone.
  •  No need for B1 Local Centre Zone as B2 Local Centre has been translated to RU5 Village Zone.

         Note: The Industrial Zones for Wilcannia have been retained but have been rezoned to the new employment zone type of E4 General Industrial Zone.

The department has worked closely with each council to ensure LEPs are amended, consistent with the intent of the reform, while also ensuring the land-use planning outcomes are locally appropriate. After the exhibition the department will be working with councils to finalise implementation ahead of the new zones coming into force on 1 December 2022.  

To view the detail of the exhibition and make a submission please visit the department’s Planning Portal and Employment Zones Reform webpage for general information on the reform process.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Planning and Environment on 1300 420 596 or by email at employment.zones@planning.nsw.gov.au 

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