Proposed changes to the NSW planning system would make it easier for regional landholders to build sheds and carry out earthworks without a development application (DA).
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is inviting feedback on the changes to the complying development codes for rural earthworks and sheds to align the Rural Housing Code and the Inland Code.
The changes would remove the need to lodge an application for certain development types, allowing councils to assess critical housing and public infrastructure DAs faster.
There are inconsistencies between the Rural Housing Code, which operates in the 38 LGAs east of the Great Dividing Range, and the Inland Code, which applies to the 69 LGAs to the west. This includes different definitions and size controls for sheds based on whether they are on the coast or outback.
The proposed changes would create a shared set of rules so that all rural and regional LGAs are subject to the same provisions. Subject to specifications, the complying developments would include:
- Retaining walls.
- Hay, machinery, and shearing sheds.
- Storage tanks.
- Stormwater drainage works and rehabilitation of eroded or disturbed land areas.
