Voluntary Planning Agreements

A Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) is an agreement entered into by a planning authority and a developer.

Under the agreement, a developer agrees to provide or fund:

public amenities and public services; and/or
affordable housing; and/or
transport or other infrastructure.

Contributions can be made through:

the dedication of land; and/or
the payment of monetary contribution; and/or
or provision of any other material public benefit, or any combination of them, to be used for a public purpose.

The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 include provisions relating to VPAs. The NSW Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure also provide information and guidelines on VPAs.

VPAs cannot be entered into unless public notice has been given, and an explanatory note is made available for inspection for at least 28 days.

Council encourages all developers who are considering their options regarding entering into a VPA with Council to contact us early in the process so that the most efficient pathway and best outcomes can be identified.