_NSW Amendment Appeal Rights
On a different note, it is interesting to see that the NSW Government has issued a discussion paper [link provided below] on changes to the planning system in that State and that one of the matters is to bring in a merits-based appeal right to proponents of amendments that are refused or not dealt with in a timely manner.
This will be one worth watching as it has long been a bone of contention in Victoria that amendments are often at the whim of the local council irrespective of merit.