Housing Diversity Package

Increasing housing choice and improving affordability 

Urban design and planning services were provided for the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure’s Housing Diversity Package.

This project involved amendments to the Growth Centres Development Control Plan and State Environmental Planning Policy to enable better delivery of the full range of housing types, particularly in areas where there is a high proportion of rear accessed attached or abutting dwellings, studios and shallow lots. The amendments to the controls will also enable the development of consistent integrated assessment requirements in development control plans.

Advice was provided on current inconsistencies between different Council areas, how to amend the relevant controls to support delivery of small lot housing and are currently assisting with the preparation of Development Control Plans for all the rezoned Growth Centres Precincts. A Sample Building Envelope Plan and Public Domain Plan were also prepared, illustrating Development Application requirements for a proposed new subdivision approval pathway.

We also contributed to the production of a Dwelling Density Guide for small lot housing. This pattern book illustrated a number of principles and sample dwelling designs regarding streetscapes, laneways, building envelopes, setbacks and principal private open spaces through diagrams and drawings.

Pre and post exhibition workshops between the Department, industry and Councils were also undertaken, as well as the preparation of a new set of Practice Notes to clarify important elements of the new approach to compact housing.

The project received a 2014 Award for Planning Excellence in the category Best Planning Ideas: Large from the NSW Planning Institute of Australia.