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Planning as a career

Some of the Department's young planners: Mark Turner, Evelyn Ivinson, Michelle McCabe and Paulina Hon.

To achieve the best possible design for towns and cities and build sustainable communities, our State’s planners work to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is in place, the best environmental outcomes are achieved, and regional centres are dynamic hubs of activity.

The NSW Government recognises that a well-resourced and appropriately-trained planning profession is vital for the State’s future growth. Regional areas, in particular, need help attracting and keeping planners. The Department of Planning has a leadership role in this field and will continue to work with our partners in education and the private sector to promote and achieve recognition for the profession.

Planning Professionals Forum

In March 2006, the Minister for Planning convened a forum of about 60 top professionals and industry representatives to discuss the issues facing the planning profession and ways to support the next generation of planners. Following the forum a working group was set up to consult with others and create an action plan.

The NSW planning profession — looking forward

The Planning Professionals Working Group’s report to the Minister in November 2006 contains 21 recommendations to help the profession grow into the future.

The NSW planning profession: looking forward [PDF]
Director General's media release [PDF]

The report’s recommendations include:

• promotion of the profession to attract school leavers
• training in communications skills to help planners deal with public and client expectations
• new training courses for people wanting to become ‘planning assistants’, who undertake more basic planning tasks
• support for ‘flying squads’ of planners, organised by the NSW Government, to relieve bottlenecks in decision-making
• job exchanges between the private and public sector to bring new insights
• creation of a Minister's award for planning excellence
• continue government-funded scholarships and encourage the private sector to develop planning cadetships.

The Department will now set up a steering committee to implement the report's action plan.