Botany Local Environmental Plan 2012
42The weight to be attributed to a draft environmental planning instrument will be greater if there is a greater certainty that it will be adopted (Terrace Tower Holdings Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council (2003) NSWCA 289 at par 5). Relevantly, in Terrace Tower, Spigelman CJ states (at 6 and 7) that:
6. Notwithstanding 'certainty and imminence', a consent authority may of course grant consent to a development application which does not comply with the draft instrument. The different kinds of planning controls would be entitled to different levels of consideration and of weight in this respect.
7. Where a draft instrument seeks to preserve the character of a particular neighbourhood that purpose will be entitled to considerable weight in deciding whether or not to reject a development under the pre-existing instrument, which would in a substantial way undermine that objective.
43If the draft LEP is imminent and certain, Terrace Tower (par 7) raises the question of whether the proposed development will preserve the character anticipated by the new zone and whether the proposed development will undermine the objectives of the zone.
44In Blackmore Design Group Pty Ltd v North Sydney Council [2001] NSWLEC 279, Lloyd J relevantly states:
30. Whether one applies the test of "significant weight", or "some weight", or "considerable weight" or "due force" or "determining weight" to the later instrument is not, however, the end of the matter. The savings clause still has some work to do. The proposed development is a permissible development by dint of the savings clause. In giving the 2001 LEP the weight of being imminent and certain, that does not mean that there is no further inquiry. It is necessary to look at the aims and objectives of the later instrument and then see whether the proposed development is consistent therewith. Various expressions have been used to define this concept, but the approach which has been favoured in the Court of Appeal is to ask whether the proposal is "antipathetic" thereto (Coffs Harbour Environment Centre Inc v Coffs Harbour City Council (1991) 74 LGRA 185 at 193).
31. This approach was adopted in the cases to which I have referred. In Mathers v North Sydney Council Talbot J (as noted in par [22] above) attributed significant weight to the then draft LEP to the extent the Court ought to be satisfied that approving the development would not detract from its objectives as expressly stated or reflected in the proposed controls.
32. In that case Talbot J refused the appeal on the ground that the proposed development was inconsistent with the proposed planning controls in the draft local environmental plan.
33. Similarly, in Architects Haywood & Bakker v North Sydney Council after stating that significant weight should be placed upon the provisions of the draft plan, Pearlman J considered whether the proposed development accorded with the planning approach and objectives of the proposed controls in the draft local environmental plan. It was the fact that the proposed development ignored the planning approach adopted by the draft LEP that led Her Honour to refuse the application in that case.
34. In Edward Listin Properties v North Sydney Council Talbot J said (at par [15]):
Although it may not be appropriate to dwell too heavily upon the detailed controls implemented by the draft LEP, it is certainly important to have regard to the broad objectives which the draft planning instrument seeks to achieve.
35. His Honour further stated (at par [35]):
...If what is proposed is unsatisfactory in general terms and inconsistent, in particular, with the expressed future planning objectives for the area, then it should be rejected.
36. In Walker v North Sydney Council Cowdroy J found that the evidence established that the development application was contrary to the planning objectives of the locality, for which reason His Honour rejected the development application.
45The questions to be answered are firstly, whether the draft LEP is imminent and certain and if so, what weight should the draft LEP be given in the consideration of the application. Secondly, how is the proposed development characterised under the draft LEP and whether the proposed use is prohibited or permissible and thirdly, whether the proposal undermines the expressed future planning objectives for the area in the draft LEP.
46In this case, LEP 2012 must be imminent and certain as it has been gazetted and consequently should be given significant weight although it does not follow that the application should be automatically refused as "commercial premises" are prohibited within Zone IN2 Light Industrial. To do so would be to give no weight to the savings provisions in cl 1.8A.
47The question to be answered is whether the proposal undermines the expressed future planning objectives for the area in LEP 2012. While it is unlikely that the proposed development would be consistent with the expressed future planning objectives for the area because it is a prohibited use, I am satisfied that the degree of inconsistency does not support the refusal of the application for a number of reasons . First, the physical appearance of the building is not to be changed and remains industrial in character. Second, some uses associated with the purpose of providing travel arrangements for pets have an industrial character such as the temporary accommodation of pets, transportation of pets and storage of pet containers. Third, the acoustic treatment of the overnight holding areas for pets minimises any adverse effect of industry on other land uses such as the adjoining talent school.
48In any event, it has been argued that the words "the application must be determined as if this Plan had not commenced" in cl 1.8A mean that LEP 2012 has no legal status because it directs that LEP 2012 has not been advertised or commenced and as such is not a relevant consideration under s 79C(a)(i) or (ii) under the EPA Act (Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd v The Hills Shire Council [2012] NSWLEC 1302).
49Pursuant to cl 10(3), I am satisfied that the carrying out of the development is consistent with the primary objective of the zone and having taken into account other relevant objectives of the plan and the zone there is no reason why development consent should not be granted.