Ms Maria O'Dwyer:

We would also welcome an extension to a ten- to 15-year timeframe in the county development plans being looked at because it would give us a better chance of being able to provide the required infrastructure within that time. As I said earlier, we are focused on adapting the master plan approach and trying to look further ahead with respect to the restraints. A lesson we can take away from this is how we can share that information more. It is probably still in the formation stage but it is our intention to bring that more to the development community. Focusing on the 48 settlements - at the end of the day we are constrained, primarily by supply chain availability right now. Where should we go and how can we be certain that we are picking the right areas to drive investment in first? What confidence would we have in ensuring that if we build it they will come? I know we had that discussion earlier and it was stated that usually if we build it they will come. That is one of the challenges we have to get over. We welcome the approach in the water services planning guidelines to promote compact and sequential development so that more sustainable communities can be built. The other key factor, from a water services perspective, is that we are only one party when it comes to decisions around planning. Many other services have to be built. I probably agree that the planning authority is the entity that is best placed to bring us all together.

Coming back to planning reform, one of the requests goes back to the powers or exemptions. We are seeking for them to be broadened out from what they are right now. They are specific in respect of water services, as regards the size of pumping stations and so on. We are also looking for more exemptions for the development community away from small stuff in order to free up planners to be able to focus on what matters most. That is also a critical part of having more people able to look at the forward planning approach.