Land Use Planning and Approvals (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2026 passes House of Assembly

The Tasmanian Government's Land Use Planning and Approvals (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2026 has passed the House of Assembly.

Minister for Housing and Planning, Kerry Vincent, said the Bill delivers a range of practical improvements and efficiencies to Tasmania's planning system.

“The Bill provides greater clarity, fairness, and efficiency across Tasmania's planning framework and ensures it remains current and fit for purpose,” Minister Vincent said.

“We are improving the planning system by addressing technical issues identified through its ongoing implementation and administration.

“These reforms reflect the Government's commitment to deliver a contemporary, efficient, and practical planning system.

“We are focused on supporting investment, development and sustainable growth while providing certainty for councils, applicants, and the broader community.”

Central to the Bill are improvements to the Request for Information process, ensuring greater transparency for applicants and clarity on when the statutory assessment time frame recommences following a request.

These changes ensure information requests are not being used unnecessarily and allow councils and proponents to be equally clear on where applications are up to in the statutory process.

The Bill provides greater flexibility in applying statewide maps, such as overlay maps for hazard areas. It also assists processes for issuing interim amendments to the State Planning Provisions, which will allow for planning matters recommended by the independent Tasmanian Planning Commission to be addressed sooner.

“We have collaborated with the Local Government Association of Tasmania, councils and the Tasmanian Planning Commission to identify matters requiring improvement or clarification to make planning processes clearer and fairer,” Minister Vincent said.

“A key part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future is to consider reform opportunities for planning and approval processes, which is what this Bill delivers.”

The Bill will now proceed to the Legislative Council for consideration.