NSW Government's planning changes to low and mid-rise housing

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"You deserve better!" Mayor of Woollahra Councillor Sarah Swan addresses the NSW Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy and what you can do about it!

July 2025

The NSW Government's new Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy commenced on 28 February 2025 and we are receiving some enquiries from the community regarding the impact of the changes, particularly their concerns about how more development could lead to flooding.

We have continued to raise significant concerns regarding the Policy and we have highlighted its lack of regard for existing housing density, local character, heritage conservation and local planning controls.

View a summary of the new planning controls, which are captured in changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021.

Read our brochure

A brochure highlighting the impacts of the NSW Government’s Low-and-Mid-Rise Housing Policy on our local area was sent with Council Rates notices in July. You can view the brochure here(PDF, 899KB).

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Click on the image above to view the brochure

What can you do?

If you have any concerns or questions, you can find out more including relevant contact details on the Department of Planning’s website.

Policy Impacts

The policy will impact housing in our area surrounding new station and town centre precincts.

The precincts in our area are:

  • Double Bay Town Centre;
  • Edgecliff Station and Town Centre; 
  • Rose Bay Town Centre (New South Head Road).

Housing in our area will also be affected by identified precincts in:

  • Bondi Junction Station and Town Centre;
  • Kings Cross Station and Town Centre, and
  • Darlinghurst and Paddington Town Centre (Oxford Street Town Centre).

The NSW Government has provided an indicative map of the affected housing areas.

Woollahra Council does not support the planning changes

We have continued to raise significant concerns regarding the NSW Government's Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy. We have highlighted the Policy's lack of regard for existing housing density, local character, heritage conservation and local planning controls. Read our Mayoral Minute 24 February 2025.

Planning changes for our area

The Policy allows much larger, denser developments than are currently permitted under the Woollahra Local Environmental Plan 2014 in low and mid-rise housing areas within 800m walking distance from a station or town centre precinct.

Key changes include:

  • Increase in height for apartments of 6 storeys within 400m of identified stations and town centres, and 4 storeys within 401m to 800m, or with the Housing SEPP affordable housing bonus 8 storeys and 6 storeys respectively.
  • New targets for landscaping and tree canopy planting in a Tree Canopy Guide requiring less than Council’s current landscaping provisions.
  • Allowing multi-dwelling housing (townhouses and terraces) in current low-density residential zones surrounding identified centres.
  • While local and state heritage listed items are excluded from the policy, there is no protection for heritage conservation areas.

In summary, the Policy allows up to a 221% increase in building height and a 462% increase in floor space ratio around station and town centres in our area. The Policy impacts on already heavily congested areas, without additional NSW Government funding for key local infrastructure.

You can find out more on the Department of Planning’s website.

Our submissions to the NSW Government

Council made two submissions to the NSW Government on the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy. The first one highlighted our concern over the lack of regard for existing housing density, overshadowing, local character, existing tree canopy, heritage conservation and local planning controls.

The second submission specifically addressed infrastructure constraints for the nominated centres, and followed a NSW Government scaffold.

For more information about our submissions and response visit our Your Say page.

Read Council's first submission to the NSW Government

Read Council's second submission to the NSW Government

Document Library

Letter to Minister Scully requesting to Remove Double Bay and Rose Bay from the Low and Mid-rise Housing Policy, 18 September 2025(PDF, 19MB)

Letter to Minister Scully on Meeting with Woollahra Council Woollahra train station and the rezoning of Woollahra and Edgecliff, 11 September 2025(PDF, 455KB)

Letter of response from Hon Paul Scully MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, 7 May 2025(PDF, 603KB)

Mayoral Letter to Minister Scully - in Response to Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy Stage 2, 22 April 2025(PDF, 2MB)

Letter to the Minister Scully, NSW Planning - Urgent Meeting request - Low-and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, 24 February 2025(PDF, 212KB)

Media release Low-and Mid-Rise Housing response from the Mayor of Woollahra Councillor Sarah Swan, 21 Feb 2025(PDF, 133KB)

Mayoral Letter to Minister Scully - Low-and Mid-Rise Reforms Rose Bay North and Rose Bay South, 12 February 2025(PDF, 221KB)

Letter of response from Hon Paul Scully MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces on Low-and Mid-rise housing reforms, 25 August 2024(PDF, 482KB)

Mayoral Letter to Minister Scully on Proposed Precincts for Low-and Mid-Rise Housing Reforms, 17 June 2024(PDF, 262KB)

Council's second submission on the proposed planning reforms, May 2024(PDF, 2MB)

Letter to Minister Scully on the NSW Governments low-and mid-rise reforms, 6 March 2024(PDF, 493KB)

Media release - Woollahra Council outraged over NSW Governments proposed planning changes that show no benefit to local community March 2024(PDF, 304KB)

Council's first submission on the proposed planning reforms, February 2024(PDF, 9MB)

 

Related Council resolutions and reports

Below are the Council resolutions and reports relating to the Low and Mid Rise Policy – further information is available on Council’s Agenda and Minutes webpage. 

       

August 2025

Mayor calls on NSW Premier to explain desperate rail and housing plan

Mayor of Woollahra, Councillor Sarah Dixson has questioned how plans announced in August 2025 by the Minns Labor Government to redevelop an abandoned Woollahra railway station, build 10,000 new apartments and rezone nearby land will address housing affordability for young people and families.

“The only people getting excited about this announcement are the developers, who by the government’s own admission will be leading this project, giving them a blank cheque to build luxury apartments in Sydney’s East. To achieve 10,000 new apartments, we could be looking at 50 apartment towers of at least 30 storeys in a relatively small and already high density area, which is a disastrous abandonment of metropolitan planning principles,” Mayor Dixson said.

Read more and watch the video below for further details.

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