Physical Planning Act, 2004 (No. 15 of 2004).

This Act provides rules for the development of the physical environment and land-use planning in general and provides for control on such development. It establishes the Planning Authority and an Appeals Tribunal and provides for the appointment by the Governor of a Chief Planner. The Authority shall submit to the Minister a National Physical Development Plan. The Authority may prepare or cause to be prepared a development plan for any specified part of the Territory which shall include a statement of the policies, proposals, and programmes for the future development and use of land in the area and measures for the maintenance and improvement of the environment. The Authority may, and if so directed by the Minister shall, cause a survey to be made of the whole or any part of the Territory with a view to determining whether any area of the Territory ought to be designated, in a development plan, as an environmental protection area. The Authority shall, in consultation with environment protection authorities prepare environmental protection area management plan for the designated area. An Order of the Minister designating a protected area may provide for control over use of land within the environmental protection area for purposes of agriculture or forestry.