Use of transferable development rights as a growth management tool

摘要

"Transferable development rights" (TDR) has been identified in a recent review of the planning system in New South Wales as a tool which should be considered for more widespread use. Yet it and other voluntary incentive-based mechanisms have largely been neglected in the context of Australian planning and natural resource management, in preference for more traditional "command-and-control" regulatory approaches, such as land use zoning. This article examines the potential for the utilisation of TDR, especially in the context of growth management. The article posits TDR in the context of the planning regime of Australia and contrasts this with the United States of America in particular, with a focus on the effect of property rights in influencing the tools used. Explored in the article are some previous applications of TDR, the potential role of TDR and other market-based mechanisms, and its constraints and opportunities for achieving planning and resource management objectives.