Planning and Environment is undertaking a comprehensive review of State Environmental Planning Policy No 65 – Design Quality of Residential Flat Development (SEPP 65) and the Residential Flat Design Code.
A summary of the key features of the proposed amendments include:
- Amendment so that SEPP 65 will apply to residential flat buildings, shop top housing and mixed use developments that include apartments.
- Three clear reasons why consent authorities cannot refuse a DA if it complies with the design guide for ceiling heights, apartment size (existing) and car parking (new).
- Renaming the Residential Flat Design Code the ‘Apartment Design Guide’ to be used as a guideline to be applied flexibly.
- Key parts of the Apartment Design Guide will prevail over council Development Control Plans to remove conflicts.
- The Apartment Design Guide is outcome based and focuses on performance criteria.
- Car parking requirements have been reduced in accessible locations to improve feasibility.
- Confirm that residential flat building applications need to comply with BASIX .
- Delegation to councils to set up design review panels and amended fees that councils can collect.
- Introduce a minimum size for studio apartments.
- Clearer alternative solutions to specific performance criteria.
- Clearer and fairer guidance about assessing privacy and building separation.
- Clearer design advice for natural ventilation and daylight.
- Proposed education and support program to ensure that the SEPP and guideline are used consistently.
Some specific amendments include:
- Ensuring every new apartment has a balcony and access to well designed and functional shared open space.
- Allowing no car spaces in new apartment buildings in certain council areas* within 400 metres of a transport hub like a train station or light rail stop.
- More flexibility around design to suit particular sites.
- A minimum size of 35sqm for studio apartments.
- New sections dealing with the adaptive reuse of buildings to apartments.
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