Planning Commission Strategic Plan 2026-2028
The following article has been authored by Mark Coffey PSM, Chairperson NT Planning Commission. Where Territorians choose to live, how our towns grow, where businesses invest – planning shapes it all. The NT Planning Commission’s new Strategic Plan 2026–2028 sets out how we’ll make that system work better for everyone.
Every new home built, every neighbourhood that grows, every business that sets up — behind each of these is a planning decision. The Territory is at a pivotal moment, with significant ambitions for economic growth, investment attraction and regional development. A planning system that is clear, certain and effective is foundational to all of it. That’s why the commission’s work matters and why getting it right matters even more.
The NT Planning Commission has released its Strategic Plan 2026–2028 PDF (1.8 MB), a plan grounded in the values at the heart of how the commission operates: independence, evidence, transparency and respect. It sets a clear direction for strengthening the Territory’s planning system — not just as an institution, but as a service to the people and communities it exists to support.
The plan is built around our vision for a resilient, inclusive and prosperous Northern Territory. It’s also practical with a focused set of priorities and actions for the next three years, balancing what we need to get right now with what we’re building toward.
Here’s what we’re focusing on:
A clear and effective planning system
A clear, consistent and well-performing planning system builds confidence – for communities, investors and decision-makers alike. The Territory has real strengths to build on, and we should ensure the planning system is working as well as it can to support this. That is why the commission is reviewing elements of the NT Planning Scheme, advising on potential legislative improvements, and developing a performance framework that brings transparency and accountability to how the system performs over time.
Leadership of the strategic planning framework
Good planning doesn't just respond to growth – it enables it. Realising the Territory's economic opportunities depends on land use planning that provides certainty and supports orderly development. We will drive priority strategic land use planning work, maintain a forward work program and provide the independent guidance that helps the Territory grow in a way that's sustainable and well-considered.
A trusted, independent and engaged commission
Our advice only carries weight if people trust where it comes from. We’ll keep delivering our statutory responsibilities with rigour, while investing more in how we communicate and engage, refreshing our community engagement policy, rolling out a new Communications and Engagement Strategy, and building stronger relationships with industry, communities and stakeholders across the Territory.
This strategic plan reflects the work of the commission and the departmental team that supports it. The priorities it sets speak to the advice prepared, the assessments completed and the conversations held every day in service of better planning outcomes across the Territory. The commission is proud of that collective effort, and this strategic plan is how the commission keeps raising the bar.
The Territory is growing and changing, with significant economic opportunities on the horizon; in energy, defence, agriculture, tourism and beyond. How land is planned and developed will shape whether those opportunities are realised well, and whether their benefits flow to all Territorians. That’s the work – and it’s worth doing well.
