NSW Housing Reforms - major change to implementation timings

When these changes were originally announced, many in the community reached out not knowing what was happening or how they would be impacted.

We've just received an update that a number of the reforms will be delayed and implemented in two stages.

From today dual occupancy are now permissible across Sydney Metro councils, however, importantly, under Stage 1, complying development for dual occupancies will be switched off until 1 July 2025 to allow councils time to consider a minimum lot size.

Essentially for any current application, Council’s existing minimum lot size will apply in the interim. It means Council will be able to do further work on an appropriate new minimum lot size having regard to the reforms. Exact parameters on acceptable sizes aren’t known, but through a minimum lot size control, Council may be able to achieve its 2 remaining priorities (maintaining the Lane Cove Village scale has already been achieved) with dual occupancy on larger lots more consistent with existing settlement patterns, and also a reduction in the number of suitable lots in the Greenwich Conservation Area.

stage 2 (to be announced later in 2024) of the policy will be updated to also:

introduce the concept of ‘station and town centre precincts’ as the basis for ‘well-located areas’, where density will be encouraged.

Particular town centres and stations within Sydney, Central Coast, Illawarra, and the Hunter region will be identified in the SEPP, and town centres will be mapped.

An 800 m walking distance from the town centre or station will be where the policy will apply. expand the permissibility of the other low- and mid-rise housing types as follows: Multi-dwelling housing (terraces and townhouses) in station and town centre precincts in zones R1, R2, R3. Low-rise apartment buildings in station and town centre precincts in zones R1 and R2. Mid-rise apartment buildings in station and town centre precincts in zones R3 and R4. facilitate and encourage the above housing types (including for dual occupancies) by introducing new development standards, such as building heights, floor space ratios and minimum lot sizes, within the station and town centre precincts maintain local character and the viability of employment centres by excluding the application of the reforms within the employment/town centres themselves (i.e. the E1, E2, MU1 and SP5 zones) – this maintains detailed strategic planning work many councils have done in these zones and avoids many areas with heritage value exclude land within identified proximity of Botany Industrial Park.

I hope this information is helpful.