With so much talk of transport-oriented development and the results of the NSW Government’s land audit it would be easy to miss another key piece of reform: the low- and mid-rise planning changes. Last week, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) announced that “Stage 1” of had commenced. 

First, a quick refresher:

• Stage 1 reforms introduce “dual occupancy” and “semi-detached dwellings” as permissible uses in nearly all R2 Low Density Residential zones across the State 
• Stage 2 (pending) will make mid-rise residential developments (e.g. townhouses, up to 6-storey residential flat buildings) near transport hubs and town centres permissible across various land zones in Greater Sydney, the Hunter, Central Coast, and the Illawarra. 

Where is the requirement for Affordable Housing in these changes? Good question. 

We’ve recently joined forces with Planning Institute of Australia, NSW with a joint letter to DPHI regarding this. Our combined view is that the Stage 2 reforms need to (at the very least) mirror the Transit-Oriented Development (‘TOD’) Program reforms with respect to mandatory inclusionary zoning of Affordable Housing. 

The LMR reforms, without Affordable Housing requirements, will negatively impact many insecure lower income renters, as existing low-cost rentals around town centres are demolished to make way for new dwellings; dwellings that command premium rents as part of a major accelerated construction program intended to occur on a regional scale.   

We thank our members for their advocacy on this issue and for our friends at PIA NSW for co-signing this letter to the Department Secretary, Kiersten Fishburn.