Update

Council at its meeting on 26 February 2024 resolved to adopt Amendment No.5 to the Georges River Development Control Plan (GRDCP) 2021, and in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the related Regulation.

Amendment No.5 to the GRDCP will come into effect on 13 March 2024.

Background

On 26 November 2021, State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (the Housing SEPP) came into effect in NSW. The Housing SEPP aims to incentivise housing typologies such as boarding houses, co-living housing and housing for seniors and people with a disability.

The Housing SEPP consolidated five previous housing-related SEPPs, including State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing for Seniors and People with a Disability) 2004 (Seniors SEPP).

Schedule 7A (Savings and transitional provisions), Clause 4 (Housing for seniors and people with disability in Greater Sydney heritage conservation areas) of the Housing SEPP states that Chapter 3, Part 5 of the Housing SEPP relating to housing for seniors and people with disability does not apply to land in a Greater Sydney heritage conservation area (HCA). The clause also states that this section is repealed at the end of 31 December 2023.

The NSW Government placed the moratorium on seniors housing in HCAs to allow councils time to finalise any necessary policy updates prior to the expiry of the moratorium and ensure that the planning framework, including State and local controls, will deliver appropriate outcomes for seniors housing in HCAs.

The impending lifting of the moratorium means that the seniors housing provisions of the Housing SEPP will start to apply to land in HCAs, including the Georges River LGA, within Greater Sydney from 1 January 2024.

Consultation

Since seniors housing developments are generally not a characteristic of the established subdivision pattern within the HCAs, it is necessary to ensure any subdivision, boundary adjustment or lot consolidation considers the impacts on the established subdivision pattern of the area, including visual and physical impacts on the built and natural environment.

Council has prepared a draft amendment to the Georges River Development Control Plan 2021 (GRDCP 2021) which involves inserting subdivision, lot consolidation and boundary adjustment controls under the guideline statements for each of the HCAs within Appendix 3 (Heritage Conservation Areas).

The purpose of the proposed controls is to ensure developments consider the impacts on the established subdivision pattern of HCAs. The lot sizes and configurations can be a characteristic of the established rhythm and defining subdivision pattern of a HCA.

Should a development application (DA) for subdivision, lot consolidation or boundary adjustment involving land identified as a heritage item or within a HCA be lodged, the DCP amendment includes requirements that must be demonstrated as part of the DA. These requirements include:

• significant subdivision patterns and the established pattern of development of the area are not interrupted or obscured; and
• the setting and curtilage of any heritage items or contributory buildings on the site, or within the vicinity, are retained and subdivision does not diminish the historical and aesthetic values; and
• the visual and physical relationships between any significant associated features such as buildings, gardens, trees, natural landform, fences, and outbuildings are retained and not alienated by subdivision; and
• the resulting development on any new allotment is of a form, scale and orientation that is compatible with the predominant subdivision pattern of the area; and
• the resulting development on any new allotment does not adversely impact the setting, curtilage, visual relationships and views of the heritage item or contributory building in the HCA and the streetscape is not adversely impacted by the creation of new lots and potentially intrusive new building envelopes.

The draft amendment also requires any proposal involving subdivision, lot consolidation or boundary adjustments to land that is identified as a heritage item or within a HCA to provide a detailed curtilage assessment as part of a Heritage Impact Statement.

How to be involved

Draft Amendment No.5 to the GRDCP and supporting documentation will be on public exhibition from Wednesday 8 November – Friday 8 December 2023, and are available for viewing under the Document Library on the right side of this page.

Community feedback is essential in helping guide us in our decision-making process. Your feedback will influence the choices we make when developing our plans and ensure we are on the right path to achieving and managing our community's overall vision. If you would like to provide feedback or comments on the Policy, we encourage you to:

	Complete our online feedback form. Use the links below to submit your online feedback, or
	Return a hard copy submission.

If you are returning a hard copy submission, please quote SF23/5783 Public Submission at the beginning of your submission and return:

	In person to Georges River Council Civic Centre or Libraries
	Via email: mail@georgesriver.nsw.gov.au
	Via post: PO Box 205, Hurstville BC NSW 1481

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