You’ll be moaning and groaning if you mess up your zoning!

A cautionary tale. 

I know somebody who bought a townhouse in a suburb that was for medium density and was very happy indeed. Until a developer on a neighbouring property pushed through plans for high density and, low and behold, it was approved. 

Now, there are eight-story apartment blocks towering over their cosy little townhouse. 

How can this happen? Surely there are planning laws in place!? 

Yes, but a lot of the time, the local council’s zoning regulations aren’t worth the paper they are written on because the state government is bending and even snapping the rules in half.

The state and local governments have to build 1000s of homes over the next few years to hit their quotas, and they are not going to let local zoning regulations get in the way. If you buy a property in a medium-density zone, you will have to brace for the fact that it might suddenly become high-density overnight. 

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst and do your research. 

While it’s difficult to know exactly which areas will change, history will show suburbs where it’s happened before and you can see if your property is in a similar area. 

According to recently leaked documents the Sydney suburbs currently affected are Rockdale, Kogarah, Banksia, Marrickville, Turrella, Dulwich Hill, Canterbury, Ashfield, Croydon, Wiley Park, Berala, Lidcombe, St Marys, Roseville, Lindfield, Killara and Gordon.

These regional NSW areas are also included: Gosford, Corrimal, Dapto, North Wollongong, Tuggerah, Wyong, Morisset, Booragul, Teralba, Kotara, Adamstown, Hamilton and the Newcastle interchange.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy in these areas, but take a very good look at what’s around the property and what impact any rezoning would have. 

I’ve added some great resources below, which show things like current zoning and planning applications, but bear in mind that this information can change in a heartbeat. Nothing is set in stone, but knowledge is power! 

Finally a last word of caution…. Of course, all the brand-new properties springing up seem like great news for a market with such little supply. 

However, if you are looking to buy new, you should consider that many are rush-built homes where corners get cut to meet demanding deadlines. You only have to look at the TikTok Inspector’s expose of shoddy work on new homes to see what I mean. 

You can also read my blog on what to look out for when you’re buying new or off-the-plan. 

As always, having the complete picture is the best way to make a good decision, and my team are more than happy to answer your questions, contact us here any time.

Resources

Planning sites with mapping and reporting tools to help you monitor proposed developments.

NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer

NSW Planning Portal | Planning

Email alerts of planning applications near you | PlanningAlerts