3.—(1) The Department shall formulate, in consultation with other Northern Ireland departments, a regional development strategy for Northern Ireland, that is to say a strategy for the long-term development of Northern Ireland.
(2) Any act which—
(a)was done at any time before the coming into operation of this Order by the Department of the Environment under Article 3 of the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991; and
(b)could have been done under this Article had it been in operation at that time,
shall have effect as if done by the Department under this Article.