Act now on planning laws or be left for dead CHRIS Johnson has spent a lifetime helping shape Australia's built environment. His extensive training in architecture - both academic and practical - scored him NSW's top planning job of chief government architect in 1995, a role he held for 10 years. After a stint consulting for the construction industry across the Asia-Pacific region, the 67-year-old's interest has returned to public planning, doing what he can as chief executive of lobby group Urban Taskforce to assist the state government's push to overhaul planning laws.