You may have been reading about the NSW Government’s proposed changes to planning laws in the newspaper and wondered what it could mean for Woollahra (click here to download the Government paper). In short, they could wreck the Woollahra we know and love, proposing, among other things, non-refusal standards for Residential Flat Building (RFBs) and Shop Top Housing (STH) as follows:

* The Affordable Housing Bonuses are granted to projects which have 10-15% of Gross Floor Area (GFA) dedicated to affordable housing for 15 years.

Queen Street and West Woollahra is close to Edgecliff and Bondi Junction Stations. There appears to be no acknowledgement of Heritage Conservation Areas and Heritage Items in the proposed legislation, which means the village atmospheres of Woollahra and Paddington are particularly at risk. Woollahra Council is opposed to the changes and has undertaken a detailed study of the potential impact of the laws on the council area as part of their submission to the government (click here to download). The results paint a devastating picture of rampant development running wild, with new buildings potentially having heights 200-300% greater than currently allows and floor space ratios 300-500% greater. Other councils, including City of Sydney, also have grave concerns, since these proposals will over-ride the planning controls (LEPs, DCPs) they have developed specific to their areas. Other community groups, including the Double Bay Residents Association and the Paddington Society also oppose the changes.

Despite the official consultation period being over, it's not too late to make submissions. The QSWWA has now lodged submissions to the Minister for Planning and the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (download here). We are urging the NSW Government to abandon this proposed ‘one size fits all’ approach and work with individual councils, including Woollahra Council, to develop targets and development plans suitable for each area which will meet the needs of the government while respecting the unique constraints and challenges of individual suburbs.

We encourage all local residents and businesses to make submissions if you haven't done so already. You can submit feedback on the proposed reforms via the methods below:

Email NSW Planning: lowandmidrisehousing@planning.nsw.gov.au

Make a submission to Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, using  this link https://www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/ministers/minister-for-planning-and-public-spaces

These proposed planning changes could ruin the the Woollahra we have fought so hard to protect. Making sure the Government is aware of the depth of opposition to their proposals is a key part of getting them to change their approach, so please take the time to voice your opinion, even if its only very brief.