The state's peak industry association for local government has got behind a Blue Mountains plan to directly battle with the NSW Planning Minister over 'zombie development applications'.
Two development applications - both decades old were revived at Blue Mountains council this year- a 1989 DA for a wildlife park on the highway at Wentworth Falls and a 20-year-old development application to build a 120-room hotel on bushland near the old Katoomba golf course.
And there's expected to be another one in the pipeline to be revealed in coming months.
At the Local Government NSW conference this week, Blue Mountains Ward 1 councillor Kevin Schreiber was delighted to see his concerns over zombie DAs supported by some 800 councillor delegates and general managers around the state.
The LGNSW agreed to write to NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes to seek reform of the planning system which currently permits development some 28 or more years after the consent was secured, without the need to review against contemporary planning and environmental standards.
Cr Schreiber hopes it means council is one step closer to making developers finish their work in a maximum five year period - a mandatory sunset provision.
"It's great, it means we can now take the fight up to the minister," he said.
"That's why I asked to put a three by two year cap on it - three years to get substantially started and two years to finish the development, otherwise you've got to reapply."
"At the moment they get three years and maybe another 20," he added.
The conference heard the Blue Mountains community was concerned to observe extensive clearing associated with a flora and fauna park at 10 Great Western Highway, Wentworth Falls, earlier this year on the basis of a development consent issued in 1989 and secured with activity in 1992.
"No development of the site had occurred since that time and it had been understood the development would not proceed," the LGNSW was told on October 15.
"Under NSW planning legislation, however, once a development consent has been secured it can be implemented at any time in the future."
Cr Schreiber said numerous delegates approached him at the conference with their own zombie DA woes.
"They have it in their own areas, this has got to help all councils across the state, it's got to be looked at. The Local Government Association can now take the fight to the minister. It's given it much more clarity and power."
Cr Schreiber said there were now three zombie DAs - the Wentworth Falls croc park, the hotel on Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba and "there's another one in the pipeline" which he could not currently discuss.
Mayor Mark Greenhill congratulated Cr Schreiber for his work in bringing the motion to fruition.
"Regulatory reform is badly needed in this space so as to promote sustainable development and restore the community's confidence in the planning and development system," he said.
Crs Romola Hollywood, Darryl Bowling and Mick Fell also attended the 2019 LGNSW Annual Conference on behalf of Blue Mountains Council.