By the Team at SN Architects As urban populations grow and housing demands evolve, NSW's State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 (SEPP Housing) provides a critical framework to address affordability, diversity, and sustainability in residential development. At SN Architects, we are specialists in NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing Design, and we are committed to helping clients harness these policies to create vibrant, compliant communities. New planning rules now suppor

1. Background: Why the LMR Map Matters in Ku-ring-gai Under the Ku-ring-gai Local Environmental Plan (KLEP), dual occupancy development is prohibited in the R2 Low Density Residential Zone. However, Section 166 of the SEPP (Housing) 2021 overrides this prohibition if and only if the site is located within a “low and mid-rise housing area.” Definition of “low and mid-rise housing area” According to Section 163 of the SEPP: Land is considered LMR land if it is within 800m walki

Delivering high-quality housing outcomes in Sydney’s most tightly regulated suburbs often requires more than good design—it demands a deep understanding of planning policy, interpretation of new legislation, and the confidence to challenge unclear mapping boundaries. A recent SN Architects pre-DA project in St Ives showcases exactly that. When our client approached us to explore a dual occupancy redevelopment in an established low-density area of Ku-ring-gai, the immediate ob