Abstract:
This paper compares planning system reform processes and outcomes over the last decade in Australia, England and New Zealand. (In the earlier years of last century planning legislation was UK based. However, it has become increasingly different across the four constituent jurisdictions. This paper, therefore, concentrates on the position in England.) All three countries share close cultural ties stemming from colonisation and similar legal systems. However, very different approaches to spatial planning have evolved over time. Nevertheless, a close reading of recent government reports and reform proposals from all three countries suggests that these differences are narrowing, with striking similarities in diagnoses of planning problems and in prescribed solutions. Our analysis highlights these similarities and asks whether apparent policy sharing and transfer across the three countries is reflected in substantive policy decisions.
