There’s no slow reveal here…
Code Delayed
As of Friday 28 June 2019, the Low Rise Medium Density Code has been further delayed, to all intents and purposes. The Code, while applicable across many areas of NSW, is not yet applicable across the majority of Sydney. Consequently the opportunities are more limited to build Manor Houses, Terrace Houses and to a smaller extent Dual Occupancies under a Complying Development Consent (CDC), which does not require Council approval.
Focussing on the specifics of the Code across Sydney, the five Council’s where the Low Rise Medium Density Code has applied since its adoption in July 2018 are Blacktown, Fairfield, Ku-Ring-Gai, North Sydney and Waverly and as of 1 July 2019 Lane Cove now been added to this list. That leaves the other 46 local government areas in Sydney to finalise their Local Strategic Planning Statements. The Code may now come into effect on 31 October 2019. I note “may” as there’s a review into the code being conducted and other political or logistical pressures may come into play in the meantime. Time will tell how this plays out.
There’s an excellent and far more detailed summary of the current situation by Aaron Gadiel a Partner at Mills Oakley here: More delays: local strategic planning statements and the low rise medium density housing code postponed again
So what does this mean for PolyHouse?
PolyHouse’s expectations were that the Code would have now been adopted across Sydney, allowing us the speedy delivery process that we aspire to, from commissioning to handing over the keys. Sadly due to the delay, DA approvals will be required and therefore more drawn out.
The bottom line is that in the majority of Sydney it is not currently possible to gain approval for a Manor House or Terrace Houses under a CDC under the State Environmental Planning Policy for Low Rise Medium Density. It may still be possible to seek approval under a Development Application (DA), contingent upon Council's own Codes. The Local Government Areas where the Code does apply may also limit the areas within which Manor Houses and Terraces are allowed. There are more opportunities for Dual Occupancies, both as CDC and under a DA.
We would be happy to investigate what may be possible within your Local Government area or more specifically for your property. Please feel free to get in contact.
Dual Occupancy
We think there are still many exciting opportunities for Dual Occupancy projects both under a CDC and DA approval path. We’ve got a number of Dual Occupancy designs suitable for a broad range of people, in numerous attractive configurations. We’ll be posting a more detailed article up here on News & Opinion shortly.
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