The environmental impacts of COVID-19 recovery

The planning system has been identified as having a critical role to play in supporting the economy during this time. To ensure that the planning system is able to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19, a number of amendments have been made to planning legislation in each jurisdiction in an effort to stimulate economic activity. Whilst there are many economic benefits associated with these amendments, it is inevitable that these changes to the planning system will create some tension with maintaining high levels of environmental protection and standards of planning practice. The question for government and industry is how we will collectively respond to these challenges. Time will tell whether and how the new changes to the planning system will impact the quality of the projects being delivered.