Outcomes

There were a number of outcomes of the collaboration. Some of these are tangible outputs such as new provisions in plans, while others are less tangible, such as the ongoing relationship between Council and the Area Health Service, or the increased understanding about possible future opportunities.

1. Specific planning outcomes

Specific changes to planning documents, policies and processes that have resulted from this collaboration are described below.

• Bellingen Local Environmental Plan (LEP)

Opportunities to insert locally developed provisions into the LEP are generally limited by a need to meet Department of Planning standard instrument requirements, and use model clauses. So while the LEP was not changed significantly, it does contain provisions that provide broad support for a healthy planning approach to be specified at the Development Control Plan (DCP) level. One model clause specifies that DCPs for urban release areas must provide for an overall transport movement hierarchy showing the major circulation routes and connections to achieve a simple and safe movement system for private vehicles, public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, and for a network of passive and active recreational areas. The LEP also makes neighbourhood shops permissible within residential areas, encouraging people to walk to a local shop rather than drive further afield. Council also inserted an additional aim into the LEP, to progressively respond to changes in the natural, social and economic environment in a manner consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development. This provides further support for a healthy planning approach.

• Car Parking Development Control Plan

Currently the Off Street Vehicle Parking Code (DCP1) requires most commercial developments to provide for car parking. This blanket requirement will be removed, with only major new developments needing to provide for parking. The cost of parking for the Shire as a whole has been reviewed and a levy included in the Local Roads and Traffic Infrastructure Developer Contributor Plan, with costs distributed across all residential development, rather than required of a small number of commercial developments.

• Public Domain Contributions Plan

Council is planning to use the Public Domain Contributions Plan to levy commercial developments for the provision of public facilities that promote useability and accessibility of town centres for pedestrians and cyclists. These might include seating, drinking fountains, bicycle racks, street trees and shade structures.

• Community facilities and open space contributions plan

Approximately 80 per cent of the adopted rate is allocated to constructing a network of shared off-road pathways (for walking, cycling and for less mobile residents to ride electric scooters on). Further funding will be provided for improvements to local parks, such as shade plantings, park furniture, mulch, paving, signage, and drinking fountains. The Plan also provides for a community facilities and recreation study, which will have a focus on healthy planning outcomes.

• Local Roads and Traffic Infrastructure Developer Contribution Plan

Council has included a number of items in the proposed project schedule to help improve the local road network for pedestrians and cyclists and public transport users. These include on-road cycleways and pavement upgrades.

• Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan (PAMP)

While the PAMP has not been amended as a result of this process, it did inform the thinking of Council staff, and the healthy planning approach provided an opportunity to reprioritise some of the elements. The importance of connectivity led to Council focus on the missing links within the pedestrian network, and prioritise those provisions in the PAMP that improve the network accessibility and legibility.

2. Ideas for future initiatives

Participants in the collaboration are engaged in ongoing discussions about other ways to progress healthy planning in the local area. Some ideas and plans for future initiatives, include the following:

• Shire-wide Development Control Plan (DCP) provisions

Some of the provisions being considered for the new shire-wide DCP that could help promote healthy living include:
- Creating a legible street layout
- Improving connectivity
- Requiring lots to face public space to improve passive surveillance and safety
- Providing for high quality footpaths or shared pathways
- Providing walking and cycling links between areas of new residential development and existing town centres
- Specifying a building height plane envelope to restrict overshadowing and provide sufficient solar access to the adjacent block, to enable both the installation of solar panels and the production of healthy backyard food

• Community strategic planning

Health and wellbeing could be suggested as a one of the key themes that might be recognised in the new ten-year strategic plan when it is developed.

• Healthy living information for land purchasers

When Council issues a Section 149 certificate to land purchasers, this could be accompanied by information on walking and cycling paths, parks, public open space and bus stops, to encourage new residents to make use of such facilities.

• Community gardens

Council and AHS staff members are now involved in the Local Food Futures Alliance. Council is in discussion with community members about establishing a community garden to encourage people to grow healthy food. One possibility is that this could be funded as a community facility under a future Section 94 contributions plan.

3. Other benefits

As well as resulting in changes to plans and policies, and ideas for future initiatives, the project shows how this approach can also produce less tangible benefits:

• Generates new ideas and encourages creative thinking: the framework of healthy planning helps people to think differently, and contemplate different solutions. It enables a shift in approach for participants, promoting a reassessment of roles that were previously narrowly defined, and a need to work across traditional disciplinary or sectoral boundaries. This is particularly valuable in a small Council like Bellingen, which has limited developer contributions and therefore limited scope to fund new work.
• Helps tailor healthy planning principles to local context: The project helped develop ideas about how healthy planning principles can be applied in a non-urban setting.
• Increases communication between council departments: Because healthy planning issues span so many different areas of council, the approach has helped to increase communication between different groups of staff.
• Generates opportunities for community collaboration: Healthy planning initiatives are an opportunity for council and community groups to work positively together.
• Helps strengthen existing initiatives: For Area Health Service staff the process of collaboration helped identify opportunities to make some of their existing health initiatives more effective by working with Council.
• Builds ongoing relationships. Both Council and Area Health staff place high value on the ongoing relationships established by this collaboration.
• Builds knowledge and encourages evidence-based approaches. Council participants feel that the project helped build their knowledge of health issues, and provided access to relevant evidence. Being able to refer to this evidence helps endorse and provide legitimacy for Councils planning work. Similarly, AHS staff members built their understanding of local government planning processes.