• Home
• >
• Planning & Development
• >
• Development Applications
• >
• Local Environmental Plan 2012

Local Environmental Plan 2012

The Waverley Local Environmental Plan (LEP) is the principal environmental planning instrument used by councils to regulate land use and influences planning and development decisions within the Local Government Area (LGA).

The LEP is prepared and gazetted by the State Government in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, giving legal effect to where and under what circumstances sites can be developed or environmental controls put in place. It is made up of a written instrument and maps and came into effect on Friday 26 October 2012.

The LEP contains zoning and land use information, specifying what uses are permitted or prohibited in each zone, development controls such as height of buildings, floor space ratio and incentives for affordable housing, provisions for the reservation of land, protection of trees and heritage conservation, as well as a number of other environmental requirements.

• Waverley Local Environmental Plan 2012
• Waverley Local Environmental Plan 2012 Maps

Although easy to read, the LEP is long document. For residents after a general introduction to the planning process, read the Development Application Process guide.

Previous Local Environmental Plans

• Waverley Local Environmental Plan 1996

Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA)

Voluntary Planning Agreements (VPAs) are legal agreements between developers and planning authorities, such as councils or the Department of Planning and Environment.

VPAs are permitted under Section 7.4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 (EPA Act). The EPA Act sets out clear guidelines that both the planning authority and developer have to follow when entering into a VPA.

Under the legislation, VPAs can be entered into as part of a development application or as part of a request to amend an environmental planning instrument such as a Local Environmental Plan.

Generally, public benefits provided through a development are to be used towards a public purpose. A public benefit can include, but are not limited to the following:

• Public amenities and public services
• Affordable housing
• Transport or other infrastructure relating to land
• Funding of recurrent expenditure relating to the provision of public amenities or public services, affordable housing or transport or other infrastructure
• The monitoring of planning impacts of development
• The conservation or enhancement of the natural environment.

For more information, refer to the Planning Agreement Policy.

For a list of current VPAs and the Waverley Public Benefit Register (a list of suggested public benefits for future VPAs), refer to the Other Registers.