Experienced town planner Evan Jones will lead a new planning reform team to create a more understandable, open and streamlined planning system.

Parliamentary Secretary John Carey will work with the reform team to ensure key objectives align with policies such as METRONET.
 
These objectives will include:

• Making strategic planning the cornerstone of all planning decisions;
• Opening up the planning system so that it is understandable to all;
• Clarifying local and State planning roles and functions of the WA Planning Commission and Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage;
• Responding to community concerns about accountability and transparency of Development Assessment Panels;
• Formally recognising the need for community participation;
• Creating more certainty for industry and cutting red tape; and
• Refining developer contribution schemes. 

The review team will provide regular reports on findings and measures that can be implemented subject to final ministerial endorsement and legislative changes if required.

Through this reform team, the planning system will support METRONET’s objective to create a connected and liveable city with greater diversity of housing close to public transport.