The Code doesn’t work for Canterbury-Bankstown

Mayor Khal Asfour said, while Council is dedicated to sensibly-designed dual occupancies in the City's low density residential areas, the NSW Government is not.

"The Code will allow for bigger duplexes to be built in our low density zones, needing only half the current car parking requirements and just one-fifth of the current open space requirements," Mayor Asfour said.

"But the ridiculousness doesn't end there. Development applications for duplexes under the Code will not require an assessment – so they'll be built without any oversight by Council.

"There will also be no community consultation, so neighbouring properties will get a notification simply telling them when development will be approved. The NSW Government will give them no option – our residents will be forced to live with any decision made by private certifiers."

"It's infuriating and beyond insulting. The planning isn't sensible, the state's largest community has been completely ignored and our City's local character and amenity will suffer significantly."

Despite the Code's shortfalls, Mayor Asfour said the NSW Government has one last shot to get it right, and prove Canterbury-Bankstown is a priority.

"We flagged our concerns about dual occupancy developments back in 2016, when we made a detailed submission opposing the Draft Code as it stood. We explicitly stated the Code's 'one size fits all' blanket approach just didn't work for our City – but we were ignored," he said.

"Well, there's no hiding now. I plan to sit face-to-face with the Minister for Planning and the necessary officers within the Department of Planning and Environment and tell them again the Code, as it stands, facilitates unplanned, unaccounted for development with no community consultation or accountability.

"There's no doubt some elements of the Code are appropriate for suburbs like Bondi, Woollahra and Glebe, where manor houses and terraces already occur. But it's simple – these forms of development cannot be dumped into traditional low density residential suburbs, without proper planning and understanding of the implications it will have.

"Careful and strategic planning isn't something we take lightly, and nor should the NSW Government. Through the development of our Community Plan, CBCity2028, our residents told us they want to see better designed and well-managed development. As a Council, that's what we want to do – but we need the NSW Government to support us.

"We will make sure Canterbury-Bankstown is heard."​

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