Buildings going up

By Jo Kennett

NEW STATE housing reforms could see height and size increases in developments worth more than $75 million, but only two or three Tweed developments are likely to fall under the guidelines, according to Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry.

On Thursday, June 15, Premier Chris Minns announced new incentives for developers to spur the construction of affordable high-density housing. These include setting more minimum affordable targets and fast-tracking planning processes.

Housing developments of more than $75 million, which include a minimum of 15 per cent affordable housing, will gain access to a new State Significant Development (SSD) pathway, meaning planning decisions will be made faster. These developments will also gain access to a 30 per cent floor space ratio boost, and a height bonus of 30 per cent above local environment plans, which has some council staff and councillors concerned.

Cr Cherry said there were probably only two or three projects that would fall under the new pathway. These include the Tweed Mall rebuild and the proposed Uniting Kingscliff residential aged care home.

“Those developments would not have come to council anyway; they would be decided by the Northern Regional Planning Panel, so it’s not such a big change,” she said.

“There aren’t a lot of projects in our shire it would be relevant to. It allows them to go through faster and gives them an uplift, for instance 30 per cent.

“Tweed Mall has a 45-metre height limit so it would allow it to go to 60 metres, so probably another four storeys on top, so that is a big consideration for our community.”

The mayor says the tradeoff is the affordable housing “which we desperately need”.

“I attended an affordable housing conference in Sydney where they said that was one of the best ways council can help,” she said.

“It will probably be contentious and I do question the 30 per cent increase in height and floor area when we can only get an extra 15 per cent affordable housing.

“I think it could have been a 20/10.”