Background

An emerging development trend in the Waverley LGA sees existing medium to high density residential buildings being replaced with large single detached dwellings, large luxury apartments or dual occupancies. This poses an issue for the area due to the loss of often affordable Inter War housing, but also a loss of housing availability generally.

In some cases, such as the replacement of two dwelling houses with one dwelling house, or replacement of a RFB with one dwelling house, this trend has the potential to change the character of a streetscape.

This trend also challenges the Council’s strategic planning of providing density in the right places, given that the limited R3 Medium Density Residential and R4 High Density Residential zones (mapped in the Waverley Local Environmental Plan 2012 - WLEP) should be doing the heavy lifting for Council to meet it's State Government-assigned housing targets.

Project Update

This Planning Proposal prepared by Waverley Council seeks to update the WLEP by amending zone objectives and adding a new clause that seeks to preserve dwelling numbers in R3 Medium Density Residential and R4 High Density Residential zones.

The Planning Proposal will only apply to Development Applications for residential accommodation (other than boarding houses, co-living housing, group homes and residential care facilities) lodged with Council after the date that the proposal is finalised.

Specifically, the Planning Proposal seeks to amend the WLEP 2012 as follows:

Section of the WLEP 2012

Existing

Proposed

Clause 1.8A Savings provision relating to development applications

No clause specific savings provisions.

An amendment made to this Plan by [amendment number associated with this Planning Proposal] does not apply to a development application made but not finally determined before the commencement of the amendment.

Land Use Table – R3 Medium Density Residential Zone

Objective: To increase or preserve residential dwelling density.

Update objective: To increase or preserve residential dwelling density across the site.

Land Use Table – R4 High Density Residential Zone

Objective: To increase or preserve residential dwelling density.

Update objective: To increase or preserve residential dwelling density across the site.

Clause 6.17 Residential Dwelling Density in R3 and R4 zones

No existing clause.

Introduce a new local provision (cl 6.17) to prevent the reduction of dwelling numbers in R3 and R4 zones by any more than 15% of all existing dwellings on site, rounded to the nearest whole dwelling except for 0.


Please read the Planning Proposal report for further detail, including maps of the current R3 and R4 zoned land and worked examples of the new clause being implemented.

How to submit feedback

Please submit your feedback on the Planning Proposal through one of the following methods:

Feedback closes at 9am, Thursday 21st November 2024.

Please note that the comments submitted will form part of Council’s public record and as such can be made available for public viewing on request.

For more information, please contact Emma Rogerson, Senior Strategic Town Planner, through Council’s Customer Service on 9083 8000, or via email at emma.rogerson@waverley.nsw.gov.au

Previous exhibition

A version of this Planning Proposal was exhibited across June - August 2024, however, it did not include a clause-specific savings provision to clearly clarify whether the proposal applies to Development Applications which have been lodged with Council prior to the provision being published or not. As such, the Planning Proposal has been amended to add a clause-specific savings provision which clarifies that the new additional local provision introduced will only apply to DA's lodged with Council after the date of the provision being published. The amended Planning Proposal is now on public exhibition on this page.