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The Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Act 2026 (the Reform Act)
The Reform Act amended Part 6 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (the PE Act) to enforce the PE Act more effectively.
New powers, offences and enforcement orders have been introduced, along with substantial increases to penalties for breaches of the PE Act, the Planning and Environment Interim Regulations 2026 (the PE Regulations), or planning schemes.
What are adverse publicity orders?
Adverse publicity orders are court orders that require that persons found guilty of an offence against the PE Act or the PE Regulations to publicise and/or notify a specified person or specified class of person of:
- the offence
- its consequences
- the penalty issued
- any other related matter.
Penalties
Adverse publicity orders do not require offenders to pay a fine.
However, they can be made in addition to other penalties or enforcement orders.
Who can make adverse publicity orders?
Adverse publicity orders can be made by a court on application of a responsible authority.
Who can be subject to adverse publicity orders?
Anyone found guilty of an offence against the PE Act or the PE Regulations can be the subject of an adverse publicity order.
Further information on adverse publicity orders
An adverse publicity order requires the offender to provide evidence to the responsible authority that they have undertaken the actions required by the order. That evidence must be provided to the responsible authority within five business days after the end of the period specified in the order.
An adverse publicity order can be made in addition to other court orders relating to the same offence.
Page last updated: 06/08/26