Ministerial Direction – Local Plan Making

The section 9.1 Ministerial Direction - Local Plan Making (Ministerial Direction) guides the preparation and assessment of planning proposals across NSW.

It establishes direction principles that must be considered when preparing or amending a local environmental plan (LEP).

The Section 9.1 Ministerial Direction - Local Plan Making (PDF, 6.1 MB) provides a single, consolidated framework for local plan making, helping councils, agencies and proponents align local planning decisions with NSW Government's land use planning priorities.

Read the Ministerial Direction

Purpose of the Ministerial Direction

The Ministerial Direction is issued by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces under section 9.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

It supports consistent decision-making across NSW by providing a strategic framework for local plan making that:

• aligns local planning with statewide land use planning priorities and policies
• supports housing, employment, infrastructure and environmental outcomes
• provides clear direction for proponents and planning proposal authorities
• promotes a consistent approach to preparing and assessing planning proposals.

Land use planning priorities

The Ministerial Direction is organised around the 7 state land use planning priorities. Each priority is supported by direction principles that set out the requirements planning proposal authorities must consider when preparing planning proposals.