Council endorses Local Strategic Planning Statement

Council has endorsed the Blue Mountains Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) Blue Mountains 2040: Living Sustainably and will now forward the statement to the Greater Sydney Commission, for review.

Developed with extensive community consultation, Blue Mountains 2040: Living Sustainably is Council’s long term land use plan aimed at ensuring the Blue Mountains local government area (LGA) can respond in a locally appropriate way to the challenges and opportunities for the future. It aligns with, and responds to, the key directions of the Blue Mountains Community Strategic Plan 2035 and includes nine local planning priorities within three themes: Sustainability, Liveability and Productivity. 

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “This Statement presents the community-shaped vision for land use across our City for the next twenty years, derived from our Community Strategic Plan.  It reflects our spectacular World Heritage setting, our local values and the significant contribution we make to the Western Parklands City.” The local planning priorities set a clear direction for how land will be used for housing, employment and sustainable tourism.  The statement acknowledges the important link between land use and infrastructure planning in creating sustainable, liveable and productive cities. The priorities describe how the unique values and characteristics of the Blue Mountains will be protected, to ensure our distinctive lifestyle and sense of place is retained. 

The NSW Government has made significant changes to the land use planning system in NSW, mainly associated with the adoption of the Western City District Plan (District Plan), prepared by the Greater Sydney Commission (GSC). A Local Strategic Planning Statement is required by legislation to identify the basis for strategic planning in the area, having regard for social, economic and environmental matters.

“The nine local planning priorities and associated actions within our statement reflect the future direction for a sustainable, liveable and productive City. They reflect the heart of the Blue Mountains, the things we value and what it means to be part of this resilient, vibrant community. To ensure that the land use outcomes identified in this statement are delivered, we must work together with all levels of government to achieve its outcomes.” 

The LSPS was endorsed at an Extraordinary Council Meeting held on Thursday 20 February, 2020.

Read Blue Mountains 2040: Living Sustainably