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Boronga Ave, west PymbleDesign by SN_Architects Photography by WILLIAM MALLAT
12/10/2026

Boronga Ave, west Pymble

Design by SN_Architects

Photography by WILLIAM MALLAT

10/10/2026

What is an attached dwelling? In NSW planning, it's three or more homes joined by common walls, each on its own lot of land, with none above another (Standard Instrument Dictionary). Terraces are different: multi dwelling housing on one lot.

In Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, attached dwellings are permitted with consent in R2, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164) (s 170). The LMR rules set no lot standards for them (s 172), so lot size comes from the council's LEP and DCP. In an LMR area, attached dwellings may be an option for an R2 site, even where the local plan doesn't allow them, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and development consent.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

10/10/2026

What is LMR? It's the NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, in Chapter 6 of the Housing SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021).

It arrived in two stages. From 1 July 2024, dual occupancies and semi-detached homes became permitted in the R2 zone across NSW, except on land excluded under s 164. From 28 February 2025, new controls switched on in Low and Mid-Rise housing areas: residential land within 800 m walking distance of a nominated station entrance or the edge of a nominated town centre, in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Lower Hunter and Newcastle, and Illawarra-Shoalhaven. In these areas, terraces and townhouses are permitted with consent in R2, and residential flat buildings, including two-storey manor houses, in R2 and R3, except on excluded land (s 164). Non-refusal standards mean council can't refuse a development application on that ground, but they are not an automatic approval. Some land is excluded, and heritage conservation areas still have heritage impact assessed. A section 10.7 planning certificate is the place to start.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

10/10/2026

Two homes on one R2 lot? The Housing SEPP permits dual occupancies with consent in R2 across NSW, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP ss 164, 166). In NSW planning, a dual occupancy is two dwellings on one lot of land, attached or detached; a granny flat doesn't count (Standard Instrument Dictionary).

In Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, a development application gets non-refusal standards of a 450 m² lot, 12 m width, 0.65:1 and 9.5 m (s 168). As complying development, the lot needs at least 400 m² (or the LEP's dual occupancy minimum where higher) and 15 m wide at the building line, or 12 m if parking is from a lane or secondary road (Codes SEPP cl 3B.8). A dual occupancy may be carried out as complying development under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and registered certifier sign-off. Some NSW Planning guidance pages still say the council's LEP must permit it, so raise this with your registered certifier early.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.


10/10/2026

Can terraces go through complying development, even where the local plan prohibits them? In areas covered by the NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR), possibly.

Housing SEPP s 170 permits terraces with consent in R2 inside LMR areas, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), and complying development only needs the use to be permissible with consent under an environmental planning instrument applying to the land (Codes SEPP cl 1.18(1)(b)), so the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code may apply. The lot test: zoned R1, R2, R3 or RU5 with access to a public road, at least 600 m² (or the LEP minimum where higher), 21 m wide at the building line (Codes SEPP cl 3B.33). The LMR figures of 500 m² and 18 m wide at the front building line (s 172(3)) are for DAs only. Some lots and land are ruled out, including battle-axe lots, lots with a secondary dwelling, heritage-affected land and land excluded from LMR. A site that ticks every box may qualify, subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and registered certifier sign-off. Some NSW Planning guidance pages still say the council's LEP must permit it, so raise this with your registered certifier early.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

10/10/2026

What is a manor house? In NSW planning, it's a residential flat building with three or four dwellings, no more than two storeys, and at least one dwelling above another (Codes SEPP cl 1.5).

In NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, residential flat buildings, including manor houses, are permitted with consent in R2 and R3, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164) (s 174). A manor house may be carried out as complying development, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), on a lot of at least 600 m² (or the LEP minimum where higher) and 15 m wide (Codes SEPP cl 3B.21), subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and registered certifier sign-off. Some NSW Planning guidance pages still say the council's LEP must permit it, so raise this with your registered certifier early.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

09/10/2026

What is a residential flat building? In NSW planning, it's a building with three or more dwellings that isn't an attached dwelling, co-living housing or multi dwelling housing (Standard Instrument Dictionary). Manor houses are the smallest kind.

In NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, apartment buildings are permitted with consent in R2 and R3, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164) (s 174), with non-refusal standards that step up from 9.5 m in R1 and R2 to 22 m within 400 m walk of a station or town centre in R3 and R4 (ss 163, 179–180). Apartments may now be possible on R2 or R3 land where the local plan didn't allow them, subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and development consent.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

09/10/2026

What is multi dwelling housing? In NSW planning, it's three or more dwellings on one lot, attached or detached, each with access at ground level (Standard Instrument Dictionary). Townhouses and villas are the everyday names.

In NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, it's permitted with consent in R2, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164) (s 170), and a development application gets non-refusal standards of a 600 m² lot, 12 m width, 0.7:1 and 9.5 m (s 172(2)). Townhouses may be a real option for an R2 site in an LMR area, subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and development consent, or, where multi dwelling housing is permitted on the land, the Pattern Book 'Row Homes 01' design may be carried out as complying development, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), with registered certifier sign-off if built exactly to the pattern (Codes SEPP cl 3BA.3(4)). Row Homes 01's own Pattern Book site requirements apply.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

09/10/2026

What is a terrace? In NSW planning, terraces are a form of multi dwelling housing: three or more attached dwellings on one lot, side by side, each facing a public road.

In NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, terraces are permitted with consent in R2, even where the council's local plan prohibits them (Housing SEPP s 170), except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164). For a development application (DA), the non-refusal standards are a 500 m² lot, 18 m wide at the front building line (s 172(3)). As complying development, the lot needs at least 600 m² (or the LEP minimum where higher) and 21 m wide at the building line (Codes SEPP cl 3B.33). Finished terraces can be Torrens subdivided (s 173; Codes SEPP Pt 6).

Terraces may be carried out as complying development, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and registered certifier sign-off. Some NSW Planning guidance pages still say the council's LEP must permit it, so raise this with your registered certifier early.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

09/10/2026

What is a semi-detached dwelling? In NSW planning, it's a dwelling on its own lot that's attached to only one other dwelling (Standard Instrument Dictionary). New semis often start as a side-by-side dual occupancy that is then subdivided.

Semis are permitted with consent in R2 across NSW, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP ss 164, 166). In NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy (LMR) areas, a development application (DA) to subdivide a new dual occupancy has non-refusal standards of 225 m² and 6 m per lot (s 169). As complying development, the lot needs at least 400 m² (or the LEP's dual occupancy minimum where higher) and 15 m wide at the building line, or 12 m if parking is from a lane or secondary road (Codes SEPP cl 3B.8). Semis may be carried out as complying development, except on excluded land (Housing SEPP s 164), subject to a s 10.7 planning certificate and registered certifier sign-off. Some NSW Planning guidance pages still say the council's LEP must permit it, so raise this with your registered certifier early.

Check your site with SN Architects
www.snarchitects.com.au | [email protected]
link in bio

General information only, not planning advice. Current as at October 2026 (Housing SEPP 2021 and Codes SEPP 2008 as in force from 11 September 2026).
Sources: snarchitects.com.au/lmr/sources
Narration: AI-generated voice

Based on content from the New South Wales Legislation website at 8 October 2026. For the latest information on New South Wales Government legislation please go to https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au.

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