Employment Zones Reform Project

Over the past several months, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment has been progressing its Employment Zones Reform project which will result in the replacement of the current Business and Industrial zones with a new suite of Employment zones. 

Within Wingecarribee Shire, the affected zones are B1 Neighbourhood Centre, B3 Local Centre, B4 Mixed Use, B5 Business Development and B7 Business Park, as well as the IN1 General Industrial, IN2 Light Industrial and IN3 Heavy Industrial zones.  These zones are proposed to become Employment zones as follows:

  • B1 Neighbourhood Centre & B3 Local Centre will be amalgamated into a new E1 Local Centre zone
  • B5 Business Development & B7 Business Park will be amalgamated into a new E3 Productivity Support zone
  • IN1 General Industrial & IN2 Light Industrial will be amalgamated into a new E4 General Industrial zone
  • IN3 Heavy Industrial will become the E5 Heavy Industrial zone
  • B4 Mixed Use will become the MU1 Mixed Use zone

Where zones have been amalgamated, the zone objectives and land use table for the more intensive Business or Industrial zone have generally been applied. For example, the new E3 Productivity Support zone, being an amalgamation of the B5 Business Development & B7 Business Park zones, will have objectives and a land use table reflective of the current B7 Business Park zones rather than the B5 Business Development zone.  Where there has been no amalgamation, the current zone objectives and land use tables have generally been retained.

It is further noted that, in the case of those villages which currently contain the B1 Neighbourhood Centre zone, a new local clause is also proposed to be inserted into Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010, the intent of which is to support the existing character and heritage integrity of those centres and the amenity of neighbouring residences, as well as to have regard to the role of the centre within the centres hierarchy established for the Shire. The localities to which this clause would apply are the villages of Balaclava, Berrima, Burrawang, Colo Vale, Exeter, Fitzroy Falls, Hill Top, New Berrima, Penrose, Sutton Forest, Welby, Wingello and Yerrinbool, as well as Renwick, and the clause would apply on land currently zoned B1 Neighbourhood Centre.

The Department has now announced a six week the public exhibition period of this Employment Lands Reform project, commencing on Tuesday 31 May 2022  and extending to the close of business on Tuesday 12 July 2022.  

To view the exhibition material it is necessary to visit the Department’s Planning Portal, a link to which is available on Council’s website, along with a user guide.  The Portal provides details of the current and proposed land use table for any nominated address.

There is also an  Employment Zones Reform page on the Department’s website which provides further information on the reform process.  A link to this page is also provided on Council’s website.

The Department is also providing a Planning Customer Support Team to answer any questions which may be contacted by telephone on 1300 420 596 or by email at employment.zones@planning.nsw.gov.au

Making a Submission

Because these reforms have been initiated by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, and not by Council, anyone wanting to make a submission to this exhibition must do so via the search webforms on the Department’s Planning Portal.  

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