Planning is about regulating the use of land and resources to meet the future needs of the community.  There are not many actions that owners can undertake on their land which do not affect others in some way.  Some regulation of land uses is essential to avoid the inevitable conflicts that would occur if everyone did as they pleased, especially in populated areas.  

For example, a person may wish to build a second storey addition on their house. The addition may give the person who owns the house a great view. However, it may also lead to privacy problems for neighbours or cast a shadow on the neighbours’ property. Planning provides a process which seeks to resolve competing interests such as these.

Planning seeks to find a balance between the wishes of private individuals and those of their neighbours and the wider community. Planning plays an important role in issues such as:

• Avoiding conflicts between incompatible land uses (for example, heavy industry and residential land uses);
• Protecting scarce resources;
• Protecting the environment;
• Preserving coastal and rural areas;
• Conserving historic towns and urban areas;
• Ensuring public access to State and regional facilities;
• Ensuring that developments have enough car parking;
• Safeguarding the safety and security of the community;
• And so on. 

Planning regulations are the only way that the interests of the majority can be protected in a democratic society.  If a person wants to develop land or change the use of land, then that use or development is controlled by a document called a planning scheme.