To protect communities, risk must be understood and considered early through strategic planning.
Resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, businesses and systems to survive, adapt and thrive in the face of adversity. The land-use planning system plays an important role in creating resilient communities.
Good land-use planning can help avoid or lessen the worst effects of natural hazards such as floods, droughts and bushfires.
The NSW Government’s risk policies and guidelines help councils plan strategically and assess development proposals. This ensures infrastructure such as homes, hospitals and schools are located so that communities are not placed at high risk, and people can safely evacuate if there’s an emergency.
We work closely with other government agencies, including the NSW Reconstruction Authority, the NSW State Emergency Service, NSW Rural Fire Service, Infrastructure NSW and local government, to build resilient communities through a risk-based approach to land-use planning.