The NSW Government has committed to delivering 377,000 well-located homes over five years – and it expects Ku-ring-gai to deliver its share of 7,600 in the same period.
A critical element of delivering these targets is the government’s ‘Low- and Mid-Rise Housing’ (LMRH) Reforms. And over the weekend the government announced its approach by gradually updating parts of its website.
It appears that the LMRH is now split into two stages.
Stage 1 of LMRH, which commenced yesterday on 01 July 2024, allows for dual occupancies to be installed in any R2 low-density residential zone across NSW with the exception of certain sites that are affected by flood, bushfire, individually listed heritage items (but not heritage conservation areas), or other criteria.
Some residents will consider stage 1 of LMRH to be good news, as it makes it easier to enter the housing market and allow multi-generational families to live in proximity while having their separate space.
However at Ku-ring-gai we also recognise that if dual occupancies are implemented with the non-refusal parameters that the NSW Government had proposed in December 2023 (minimum lot size 450 sqm, floor space ratio 0.65:1), then it will have a detrimental impact on our urban tree canopy, biodiversity, climate resilience and heritage.
The problem that I have with the announcement over the weekend is that it is silent on the minimum lot size and floor space ratios for dual occupanices. And in the absence of these parameters, the impacts of these dual occupancies are unknown.
As a Council, we have previously proposed more appropriate parameters to the Department of Planning, and we will be following up to confirm its support to provide you as residents the certainty that you need.
Stage 2 of the LMRH involves additional density around train stations and town centres. Further details will be announced later in 2024 (I suspect after the Local Government elections to safeguard Labor candidates) with an implementation date set for the second half of 2̶0̶2̶5̶ 2024 [Department website said second half of 2025 on 01 July but when I checked again this morning it said second half of 2024].
T̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶o̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶l̶f̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶5̶ ̶i̶m̶p̶l̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶n̶e̶w̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶K̶u̶-̶r̶i̶n̶g̶-̶g̶a̶i̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶c̶i̶l̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶a̶s̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶p̶a̶r̶t̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶P̶l̶a̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶u̶c̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶c̶a̶l̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶p̶a̶r̶t̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶l̶i̶s̶t̶e̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶d̶b̶a̶c̶k̶,̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶c̶i̶l̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶e̶r̶m̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶n̶s̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶g̶o̶.̶ [Paragraph stricken out due to Department of Planning website update on morning of 02 July]
Having said that, we are still in disagreement with a separate set of reforms called ‘Transport Oriented Development’ (TOD). These reforms were imposed on a small radius around Gordon, Killara, Lindfield and Roseville earlier this year.
Despite multiple requests to have sufficient time to plan for the TOD, the NSW Government pushed ahead with their April timeframe. The financial impact on ratepayers is over ten million, and to recover the costs we have had no choice but to take the State Government to court.
I have spoken to the Minister on 02 May and subsequently written to him twice saying that the court action can be avoided if he were to be consistent and given Ku-ring-gai the same opportunity for local planning that he gave to 12 other councils for the TOD (and now 128 councils for the LMRH stage 2). All he has to do is lift the map for our four TOD precincts and set a deferred commencement date in 2025. But he has not been interested in backing down from his position, so the only way we can protect your ratepayer funds is to go through the courts.
In May, Council also resolved for staff to identify different density scenarios for each of the four TOD precincts and to commence a public consultation process towards the end of this year.
N̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶e̶r̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶m̶e̶n̶c̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶2̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶K̶u̶-̶r̶i̶n̶g̶-̶g̶a̶i̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶o̶r̶e̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶u̶n̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶d̶u̶c̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶8̶0̶0̶m̶ ̶w̶a̶l̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶o̶u̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ ̶t̶r̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶S̶t̶ ̶I̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶p̶s̶.̶ ̶I̶f̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶m̶i̶d̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶5̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶o̶t̶e̶n̶t̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶u̶r̶b̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶r̶e̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶o̶p̶y̶,̶ ̶b̶i̶o̶d̶i̶v̶e̶r̶s̶i̶t̶y̶,̶ ̶c̶l̶i̶m̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶i̶l̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶i̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶e̶r̶v̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶a̶s̶.̶[Paragraph stricken out due to Department of Planning website update on morning of 02 July] ̶ ̶B̶u̶t̶ ̶C̶o̶u̶n̶c̶i̶l̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶y̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶c̶u̶s̶s̶ ̶o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶o̶l̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶.̶.̶.̶.̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶d̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶i̶m̶i̶l̶a̶r̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶s̶u̶p̶p̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶d̶u̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶s̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶-̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶S̶t̶a̶t̶e̶.̶ ̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶-̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶.̶ ̶Q̶L̶D̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶0̶4̶6̶,̶ ̶V̶I̶C̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶0̶5̶1̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶N̶S̶W̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶t̶a̶r̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶9̶.̶ ̶S̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶c̶i̶l̶l̶o̶r̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶g̶u̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶v̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶c̶l̶a̶r̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶K̶u̶-̶r̶i̶n̶g̶-̶g̶a̶i̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶e̶s̶t̶a̶b̶l̶i̶s̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶-̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶L̶o̶c̶a̶l̶ ̶E̶n̶v̶i̶r̶o̶n̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶P̶l̶a̶n̶.̶[Paragraph stricken out due to Department of Planning website update on morning of 02 July] ̶ ̶A̶n̶y̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶w̶e̶’̶l̶l̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶s̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶r̶e̶’̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶m̶b̶i̶g̶u̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶L̶M̶R̶H̶ ̶S̶t̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶1̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶’̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶a̶i̶l̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶f̶f̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶l̶a̶r̶i̶f̶y̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶i̶t̶i̶o̶n̶.̶ [It’s a bit ridiculous that I had to cross out a large chunk of this Facebook post…. The Department should check their material and their dates before publishing the details on the Internet.]
Link to 01 July 2024 webpage. https://web.archive.org/web/20240701140452/https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/diverse-and-well-located-homes
Link to 02 July 2024 webpage. https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/policy-and-legislation/housing/diverse-and-well-located-homes
