Mr. Paul Hogan:

As local area plans stand, their intent, purpose and application vary. An LAP can cover a whole town or part of a settlement, for example, the edge or part of a city, and can be for different things. LAPs can be to refine the detail of how an area may be designed or they can be to effect rezoning. There has been a high degree of variability around local area plans. The purpose of the new designation, if you like, in the Bill is to reflect the priority areas that are most in need of that sort of detailed attention. In a city context, therefore, the priority will be that area plans will be most relevant. The idea of the urban area plan is to cover the whole settlement and the idea of the joint area plan is where one has a settlement that straddles administrative boundaries.