509. (1) Notwithstanding sections 506 and 508, where the office of Chief Planning Commissioner or Deputy Chief Planning Commissioner is vacant and the Minister, following consultation with the Governing Board, is of the opinion that a Chief Planning Commissioner or Deputy Chief Planning Commissioner should be appointed as a matter of urgency due to the number of appeals, applications, referrals or requests being considered by the Commission, the Minister may, subject to subsection (3), appoint a suitably qualified civil servant or public servant to be the Chief Planning Commissioner or the Deputy Chief Planning Commissioner for a specified term.

(2) Notwithstanding sections 507 and 508, where the Minister, following consultation with the Governing Board, is of the opinion that an ordinary planning commissioner should be appointed, whether to fill a vacancy in the number of ordinary planning commissioners referred to in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 505 or under subsection (3) of section 505, or in addition to the number of ordinary planning commissioners specified in paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 505 or under subsection (3) of section 505, as a matter of urgency, due to the number of appeals, applications, referrals or requests being considered by the Commission, the Minister may, subject to subsection (3), appoint a suitably qualified civil servant or public servant to be an ordinary planning commissioner for a specified term.

(3) A person shall not be appointed under this section for a term in excess of 12 months, and a term of appointment under this section shall be considered a period in office for the purposes of subsection (4) of section 510.