Lessons from Christchurch

The extraordinary nature of the recent bushfires has highlighted the incredible resilience of Australians. 

Visiting the South Coast with local member Andrew Constance recently I saw this resilience firsthand. I saw homes and businesses that had been flattened, wildlife that had been devastated, and barren land littered with blackened tree trunks that had not long ago been lush and fertile. The scenes of devastation were both widespread and shocking. 

But on that trip I also saw green shoots starting to emerge – both literally on blackened tree trunks and figuratively in the community itself. As a government, we must do everything we can to encourage these green shoots and support our communities get back on their feet. 

One of the ways we are doing this is by taking a lead from our friends across the ditch in Christchurch, New Zealand, by changing the planning rules to allow greater flexibility and innovation for small businesses. 

Small businesses in bushfire-affected communities will now be able to operate from portable offices such as a shipping containers without council development approval for up to two years. The portable office can be set up on their existing site, safety permitting, or on approved council-managed land such as football fields or camping grounds.  

The trickle effect to communities of this change will be profound. It will mean business owners can continue to earn an income, employ local residents and support local economies. It will mean they can open their doors, sell their goods and services, and begin the long process of starting again. 

The move is not dissimilar to the ‘Container Mall’ that popped up in Christchurch following its devastating earthquakes of 2011, which wiped out almost the entire city and some of its most iconic and beloved buildings. 

The town was looking for novel designs to quickly rebuild and bounce back. Enter the ‘Container Mall’ – a temporary shopping mall with 29 stores and a café built entirely from shipping containers. 

The mall was one of the most striking features of the city’s renewal, and attracted attention from around the world. Most of the stores were locally owned and had been a part of the community for years, and their rebirth in eco-friendly shipping containers brought civic and public pride back to the community.

In the face of disaster the mall offered a bit of normalcy to the residents among the rubble. 

Small ways to bring back normalcy is exactly what we must be thinking about as we rebuild communities across NSW, and Australia. 

If we are going to rebuild more resilient communities, we need more flexible planning rules that facilitate innovation while also providing certainty. 

The fires were devastating enough. The rebuilding process – for individuals, families and businesses – must not add unnecessary stress. 

We’ve made other small changes to the planning system to support communities and businesses that have been impacted. 

Anyone who can’t return to their homes because of the bushfires can now stay in a caravan or other temporary accommodation on their land without council approval for up to two years. They can also keep a shipping container on their site to store their belongings while they rebuild, and demolish bushfire-affected buildings or make temporary repairs to buildings without council approval.

Of course, there will be more that we can do. 

But if we can make a difference to just one individual, or just one business, then it’s worth doing. 

Rob Stokes, NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister