Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act 2017 (Solomon Islands)

The Town and Country Planning Act provides for the development and use of land in Solomon Islands in a manner aligned with policies and on the basis of adequate information. It mandates the adoption of a Local Planning Scheme for an area declared by the Minister as a Local Planning Area. The 2017 Amendment improves on the original Act by incorporating climate change considerations. It specifically adds the following to the purposes of a Local Planning Scheme: 

"(g) to address any social, environmental or economic issues identified in a study carried out under section 8, including any risks to land uses and developments caused by climate change; 

(h) to reach a general consensus amongst residents of the area covered by the Local Planning Scheme and other stakeholders on appropriate land use and development policies through a participatory process." The amendment also provides, with respect to applications for permission to develop land, that among the factors which must be considered are whether the land is susceptible to hazards to health or safety (e.g., landslip, soil instability, soil erosion, flooding, storm surge, tsunamis, fire, pollution and contamination); the effect of the proposed development on the health, safety and social being of the general public; and the environmental impact of the proposed development."