We call for an urgent review State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (SEPP ECDC 2008) because of the failure of the legislation to address local character with subsequent substantial economic, social, environmental and ecological impacts on residential communities.

There is increasing concern about the failure of private certifiers to correctly apply the SEPP ECDC 2008 and the difficulty of seeking amendments or rectification when the SEPP ECDC 2008 is incorrectly used.

We also call for a moratorium on the use of the Exempt Codes in the Village of Pearl Beach NSW until the impacts of the SEPP ECDC 2008 Codes on residential areas with special character are reviewed. 

The SEPP ECDC 2008 seems to have been written with the specific purpose to ignore the  aims of Planning in NSW.  In particular it totally fails to allow for development that is compatible with the character of an area.  According to the Department of Planning website[1]: The NSW Government is committed to ensuring strategic planning recognises and enhances the local character of an area, and that communities share what they value about their area to inform planning and decision making.

It is all very well to talk about local character in strategic planning context, however if “Exempt Development” continues under the current SEPP ECDC 2008, and at the current pace of development, many communities will have their special local character destroyed.

In addition of increasing concern is the failure of private certifiers to correctly apply the SEPP ECDC 2008 and the difficulty of seeking amendments or rectification when the SEPP ECDC 2008 is incorrectly used.

We call on all NSW Political Parties and Independent Candidates to support the call for this urgent review of the SEPP ECDC 2008.

Community members and groups, environment groups and professional organisations - please support our campaign.  Individuals indicate that you won't vote for a candidate that fails to support this review in the next State election. 

By way of example the Pearl Beach Environment Group has considered Pearl Beach as a case study accessible at this LINK. 

[1] https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Policy-and-Legislation/Local-Character accessed 01 December 2021