Site

Applies to the whole Local Government Area.
 

Applicant

Georges River Council.
 

Planning Proposal Request

To amend the Georges River LEP 2021 to implement the recommendations of the Biodiversity Study and Foreshore Study in accordance with the approval conditions of the Local Housing Strategy.

The intended outcomes are to:

• Biodiversity: Introduce new biodiversity objectives, planning provision and mapping overlay to preserve and protect areas of moderate and high terrestrial biodiversity values.

• Local Character Area: Introduce new local character objectives, planning provision and mapping overlay to provide statutory protection to Unique Character Areas (UCA).

• Foreshore Scenic Protection Area: Replace the existing Foreshore Scenic Protection Area (FSPA) planning provision and amend the mapped extent to ensure the role of the FSPA focusses on foreshore scenic character.

• Design Excellence: Amend Clause 6.10 Design Excellence to consider visual amenity and visual impacts when viewed from the foreshore and waterway of the Georges River and local character.

• Lot Size: 

• - Insert objectives to ensure that lots in the FSPA are of sufficient size to protect natural values, in particular areas of high terrestrial biodiversity value.

• - Retain existing lot size requirements within areas proposed to be removed from the existing FSPA as follows: 

  • 1. Subdivision lot size: 700sqm.

  • 2. Dual occupancy lot size: 1,000sqm.

• - Increase lot size requirements for areas proposed to be added to the proposed FSPA and/or UCAs as follows:

  • 1. Increase subdivision lot size from 450sqm to 700sqm.

  • 2. Increase dual occupancy lot size from 650sqm to 1,000sqm.

• Floor Space Ratio: Reduce the maximum permissible FSR for R2 Low Density Residential zoned land located within the existing FSPA, proposed FSPA and the proposed UCA from 0.55:1 for dwelling houses and 0.6:1 for dual occupancies to 0.5:1 for all development typologies.

• Landscaping:

• - Amend the landscaped area planning provisions through the insertion of new objectives to:

  • 1. Protect, maintain and improve the diversity and condition of native vegetation and habitats across the Local Government Area (LGA).

  • 2. Encourage the recovery of threatened species and their communities, populations and habitats across the LGA.

  • 3. Retain and strengthen the green and leafy character of the LGA, including trees in the private domain that contribute to local character and visual amenity.

• - Increase the minimum landscaped area requirement for dwelling houses and dual occupancies by 5% to 30% and 35% respectively for low density land located within the existing FSPA, proposed FSPA and the proposed UCA.

• - Introduce minimum 20% landscaped area requirement for multi dwelling house, terraces and manor houses in response to the NSW Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Reform.

As part of this Planning Proposal Council is requesting the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) to exclude the application of the Low-Rise Housing Diversity Code from the proposed FSPA and proposed UCA to ensure dual occupancies, manor houses, multi dwelling housing and terraces are only permitted through the Development Application process.
 

Status

Council resolved on 25 March 2024 to prepare the Biodiversity, Character and FSPA Planning Proposal.  

In accordance with the Direction from the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces under Section 9.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and the charter of the Georges River Local Planning Panel (LPP) 2018, the Planning Proposal was referred to the Local Planning Panel on 20 June 2024.

Council’s Environment and Planning Committee considered the Planning Proposal at its Meeting held on 8 July 2024. 

Council at its Meeting held 22 July 2024 resolved to forward Planning Proposal 2024/0002 (Biodiversity, Character and FSPA) to the DPHI for a Gateway Determination under Section 3.34 of the EP&A Act.

The Planning Proposal was lodged on the NSW Planning Portal for a Gateway Determination on 23 July 2024.

The Attachments to the Planning Proposal are as follows:

• Attachment 1: Letter of approval issued by the then DPIE for the Local Housing Strategy.

• Attachment 2: Georges River Biodiversity Study.

• Attachment 3: Georges River Foreshore Scenic Character Study.

• Attachment 4: Neighbourhood Character Site Survey Matrix (Appendix to the Foreshore Study).

• Attachment 5: Community Consultation Summary Report Pre- Exhibition.

• Attachment 6: Summary of Submissions.

• Attachment 7: Review of Environmental Planning Provisions for Biodiversity in Georges River Local Government Area (June 2023).

• Attachment 8: Review of Environmental Planning Provisions for Local Character in the Georges River Local Government Area (June 2023).

• Attachment 9: Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV008-24) held 11 March 2024.

• Attachment 10: Minutes of Council Meeting held 25 March 2024.

• ​Attachment 11: Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV0025-24) held 8 July 2024.

• Attachment 12: Minutes of Council Meeting held 22 July 2024.

• Attachment 13: Local Character Statements for land in FSPA.

• Attachment 14: Local Character Statements for Local Character Clause.

Next Steps

Gateway Determination to be issued by the DPHI.

Further Information

• Letter of approval was issued by DPHI for the Local Housing Strategy.

• Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV025-21) held 15 June 2021.

• Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV024-21) held 15 June 2021.

• ​Community Consultation Summary Report Pre-Exhibition.

• Summary of Submissions.

• Review of Environmental Planning Provisions for Biodiversity in the Georges River Local Government Area (June 2023).

• Review of Environmental Planning Provisions for Local Character in the Georges River Local Environmental Area (June 2023).

• Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV008-24) held 11 March 2024.

• Minutes of Council Meeting held 25 March 2024.

• Local Character Statements for land in FSPA.

• Character Statements for Local Character Area Clause.