Employment zones reforms

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has implemented reforms to State-wide employment zones.

The reforms are aimed at simplifying zonings and providing new business and industrial opportunities in response to COVID.

The changes do not affect existing approved land uses and activities.

The reforms will result in changes in zone name, objectives and development opportunities (land uses) in future business and industrial zones. There are no changes to building height, floor space ratio or lot size controls.

The new zones replaced the existing business and industrial zones in Gloucester LEP 2010, Great Lakes LEP 2014 and Greater Taree LEP 2010. In the Document Library, we have provided a summary of how the new zone objectives and land uses compare with former zone objectives and land uses in each LEP.

The reform replaced business and industrial zones with Employment zones within individual local environmental plans across NSW.

Implementation followed the introduction the Employment zones within the Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 in December 2021.

The department worked closely with each council to ensure LEPs were amended, consistent with the intent of the reform, while also ensuring the land-use planning outcomes are locally appropriate. The new zones came into force on 1 December 2022.

For further details visit the Department of Planning and Environment’s web page.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Planning and Environment on 1300 420 596 or by email at employment.zones@planning.nsw.gov.au.