Announcement: Council webinar
Get up to speed on the State Government’s planning reforms.
Council is holding an information session at 7:30pm on Thursday 15 February to help you understand the changes and their implications.
Places are limited – maximum tickets one per person.
Introduction
In December 2023, the State Government released proposed changes to planning legislation that would override Council limitations on the type of development allowed in its suburbs and around local centres.
These changes have the potential to transform the character of local streets, increasing the number of duplexes and terraces in our suburbs and increasing the scale of residential flat buildings located around local centres and stations.
The reforms will override Council’s planning controls to allow:
- More dual occupancy developments (i.e. duplexes) on smaller lots across most of the LGA, including in heritage conservation areas.
- Introduction of medium density multi dwelling housing development, such as terraces, villa developments, and two storey residential flats into currently low density areas.
- Taller and denser apartments and mixed use development in medium density areas within 800m of stations and local centres (for example, North Willoughby, Castlecrag, Naremburn).
- Rezoning of land within 1,200m of Crows Nest Station which includes significant portions of Naremburn and St Leonards.
While Council supports and encourages strategically located growth to deliver sufficient and diverse housing for its growing community, the proposed changes do not strategically locate capacity for growth and will potentially result in overdevelopment.
Council is also concerned that the proposal will reduce the quality of development outcomes; the proposal includes various non-refusal standards that will override stricter Council controls.
Residents have until 23 February 2024 to give feedback, have your say through the NSW Government’s planning website.
