Ms Angela Ryan:

Some key issues in planning policy or policy relating to growth are dependent on infrastructure, particularly key critical infrastructure. We would like to see an acknowledgement of that. There need to be methodologies for key State strategic infrastructure projects to almost have their own channel through planning so that we are not held up and have more certainty of timelines around planning. On exemptions for works we need to achieve in order to ensure climate change resilience such as nature-based solutions, we would like a broader consideration of that in planning regulations. As I said, we would like more certainty around timeframes involved.

That can be a significant delay factor in our major projects. When we get to ground with major projects we are very good as a company in delivering major projects but getting to that stage of achieving the multiple consents across different agencies can be very problematic for us.