About the Local Planning Panel

The following applications are referred to the City of Parramatta’s Local Planning Panel (LPP) based on the referral criteria set by the Minister for Planning:

• planning proposals
• development applications, including applications to modify a development consent

Where the applicant or land owner is:

• Council
• Councillors, State or Federal members of Parliament or a relative (within the meaning of the Local Government Act 1993)
• Council staff (who are principally involved in exercising Council’s functions under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act) or a relative (within the meaning io the Local Government Act 1993)

Where ten or more unique submissions by way of an objections are received

To vary a development standard by more than 10%.

Applications which are for:

• designated development
• where Chapter 4 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 applies and is four or more storeys in height
• New licenced premises requiring one of the following liquor licenses:  (1,2,3 below)

1. A club licence under the Registered Clubs Act 1976
2. A hotel (general bar) licence under the Liquor Act 2007, or
3. An on-premises licence for public place of entertainment venue under the Liquor Act 2007

• The purpose of sex services premises and restricted premises
• Demolition of a heritage item
• A development application where the developer has offered to enter into a planning agreement.

View the complete planning proposal referral criteria(PDF, 71KB)

View the complete development application assessment guide.

LPP meetings include four members - a chairperson, community member and two independent expert members.

Panel chairs are required to have expertise in law, or government and public administration.

Panel members are required to be expert in one or more of the following fields:

• planning
• architecture
• heritage
• environment
• urban design
• economics
• traffic and transport
• law
• engineering
• tourism
• government and public administration.

Community members are representatives of the local community but do not need to be an expert in any particular field.

Councillors, property developers and real estate agents are ineligible to be panel members.

View the code of conduct for LPP members

LPPs are formed under the authority of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and have authority to make decisions under the Act.

The functions of the panel are to:

• Provide an independent and open forum for interested persons and groups to hear and make submissions about development proposals referred for determination
• Consider and determine development applications (section 4.16), application modifications (section 4.55) and reviews of applications (Division 8.2) referred to it
• Provide recommendations to Council on planning proposals (section 3.33) and any other development matter that may be referred to the Panel (section 2.19).

View the Department of Planning LPP Statutory Rules Page

The meeting format usually includes:

• an on-site inspection
• a public panel meeting, with an open forum for interested persons and groups to hear and make submissions about the development proposal
• a closed panel session for the panel to deliberate (if required)
• a public announcement of the determination.

The decision of the panel is by a majority of votes with each member casting one vote.

In the event of a tied vote the Chairperson would have a casting vote.

The determination includes a written response from the panel similar to a court judgement outlining the reasons for the decision.

Applicants, and people who lodged submission on the planning matter being considered, will be notified of panel meetings.

Meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month commencing at 3:30pm.

The meeting time is subject to change based on the number of items listed on the agenda. Please check the meeting agenda to confirm the meeting start time.

Meetings are held at PHIVE Parramatta

If there are no items for consideration, the meeting will be cancelled.

Any person can observe panel meetings either in-person (subject to room capacity) or online.

If you wish to attend in person, please email lpp@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au beforehand.

Reports and minutes to be considered by the panel are prepared by Council staff and available from Council’s Business Papers page, ahead of the meeting.

View Council's business papers

If you wish to address the panel you need to request this in writing by 4pm on the Thursday prior to the scheduled meeting via the webform on this page.

If applications to address the panel are not received by this time, permission to address the Panel may not be granted.

Please note that the Chairpersons of the meeting will only allow a member of the public to address the Panel ONCE per item unless new and significant information is to be presented in which case you must advise why any such new information is considered to be "significant". 

You have three minutes to make your verbal submission and here are some tips to help you make the most of your time:

• Address the chair of the panel
• Be concise, and emphasise your key points
• The Panel has a copy of your submission so there is no need to merely read out your written submission
• If someone has already spoken before you and you agree with their key points, say so, don’t repeat what they say
• Focus on how the proposed development might affect you, in your own words
• Sometimes proposed developments do not comply with certain planning rules such as the height of the building. Rather than talking about this non-compliance, explain to the Panel, in your own words, how this will affect you
• Talk about what you would like the panel to do or how the development could be changed to address your concerns
• If you are part of a group with similar concerns get together before the meeting and work out who will say what so that you make the most of everyone’s 3 minutes
• Finally, be polite and respectful to the members of the Panel, other attendees and the council staff.

You can view meeting transcripts up to May 2020.

View Council meeting transcripts

After May 2020, meetings were recorded and can be viewed here.

View Council Webcast

LPP minutes can be accessed here.

he applicant can seek a review of a determination. This review will also be referred to the LPP, but with different panel members who did not make the original decision.

An applicant may also appeal to the Land and Environment Court.