DfI announce changes to planning system

10 July 2025  Business Environment

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has today announced new measures to enhance public engagement and streamline decision-making in the planning system.

Under the new statutory rule:

• Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) will be strengthened by requiring developers of major applications to provide a dedicated website to display draft development proposals and enable public feedback. This is in addition to the mandatory in-person public event, which remains a statutory requirement.

• Pre-Determination Hearings (PDHs), previously mandatory in certain cases, will now become discretionary, allowing councils to decide whether a hearing is necessary based on the circumstances of each application

Read further details here.