_FEE OR COST RECOVERY

A Regulatory Impact Statement has been prepared for the proposed Planning and Environment (Fees) Regulations 2016 and the proposed Subdivision (Fees) Regulations 2016.

The most noticeable proposed change to the Regulations proposes fees to be expressed in fee units.  The use of fee units will allow for the automatic indexation of fees under the Monetary Units Act.  Fee units will simplify changes to the Regulations through the alteration of a singular unit.  A single fee unit at current dollars is set at $13.94.

Some of the notable fee changes include the following:

  • An existing fee of $502 applies to a planning permit application for use only; the change proposes 89 fee units ($1241), which is a 147 per cent increase.
  • An existing fee of $2,918 applies to amend a planning scheme; the change proposes between 1292 and 2998 (depending on the number of submissions) fee units ($18,010 to $41,792), which is an increase of between 500 and 1330 per cent.
  • An existing fee of $2,918 applies to planning scheme amendments under Section 20A; the change proposes 65 fee units ($906), which is a 69 per cent decrease.
  • An existing fee of $147 applies to issue a certification of compliance (planning permit); the change proposes 22 fee units ($307), which is a 108 per cent increase.
  • An existing fee of $102 applies to a satisfaction matter; the change proposes 22 fee units ($307), which is a 200 per cent increase.
  • A fee of 89 fee units ($1,241) applies to a new category of permit applications for other than use, development or subdivision, which is an increase from $0.
  • A fee of 44.5 fee units ($620) applies to a new category of the amendment or termination of a Section 173 agreement, which is an increase from $0.
  • A fee of 9.5 fee units ($132) applies to a new category of a request to amend a certified subdivision plan, which is an increase from $0.
  • An existing fee of between $102 and $815 (depending on the type of permit and value) applies to amend a planning permit; the change proposes a new fee based on 75 per cent of the fee applicable to the original permit class plus the difference in fees if the amendment moves the permit into a different class resulting in a variable per cent change (no proposed fee unit).

The Regulatory Impact Statement allows the community to comment on the proposed Regulations before they are finalised, to provide perspectives to improve the quality of the Regulations.  Submissions preferably to be lodged via the online form (accessed on the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure website) by 24 June 2016.

The Statement refers in effect to the changes as bringing about a better recovery of costs to the responsible authority for the assessment work involved.  It is interesting that cost recovery in this property area has replaced the idea of a fee and we wonder if this will be carried through in all areas of services.  For example, will the future bring cost recovery fees for library book borrowing, for public transport fares and so on?