NSW’s notoriously unwieldy planning system is set for an overhaul after the Minns Labor government and Coalition leaders agreed on one thing: the only way the rules can be reformed is with bipartisanship.

The O’Farrell government tried and failed to use its powers to deliver radical changes to critical planning legislation in 2013. But, as the housing crisis remains the government’s greatest challenge and NSW lags on its target to deliver 377,000 homes by mid-2029, Coalition MPs cannot afford to stand in the way.

The myriad reforms aim to tackle critical grievances that have long plagued the planning system: largely that it’s slow, complex and onerous, involves too many authorities, and has more layers than a mille-feuille pastry.

As Planning Minister Paul Scully said on Wednesday: “We

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