Site

Applies to the whole Local Government Area.
 

Applicant

Georges River Council.
 

Planning Proposal Request

To amend the Georges River LEP 2021 to implement the recommendations of the Biodiversity Study and Foreshore Study in accordance with the approval conditions of the Local Housing Strategy.

The intended outcomes are to:

• Biodiversity: Introduce new biodiversity objectives, planning provision and mapping overlay to preserve and protect areas of moderate and high terrestrial biodiversity values.

• Local Character Area: Amend the zone objectives relating to local character in the low and medium density residential zones.

• Foreshore Scenic Protection Area: Replace the existing Foreshore Scenic Protection Area (FSPA) planning provision and amend the mapped extent to ensure the role of the FSPA focusses on foreshore scenic character.

• Design Excellence: Amend Clause 6.10 Design Excellence to consider visual amenity and visual impacts when viewed from the foreshore and waterway of the Georges River and local character.

• Lot Size: 

• - Insert objectives to ensure that lots in the FSPA are of sufficient size to protect natural values, in particular areas of high terrestrial biodiversity value.

• - Retain existing lot size requirements within areas proposed to be removed from the existing FSPA as follows: 

  • 1. Subdivision lot size: 700sqm.

  • 2. Dual occupancy lot size: 1,000sqm.

• - Increase lot size requirements for areas proposed to be added to the proposed FSPA and/or UCAs as follows:

  • 1. Increase subdivision lot size from 450sqm to 700sqm.

  • 2. Increase dual occupancy lot size from 650sqm to 1,000sqm.

• Floor Space Ratio: Reduce the maximum permissible FSR for R2 Low Density Residential zoned land located within the existing FSPA, proposed FSPA and the proposed UCA from 0.55:1 for dwelling houses and 0.6:1 for dual occupancies to 0.5:1 for all development typologies.

• Landscaping:

• - Amend the landscaped area planning provisions through the insertion of new objectives to:

  • 1. Protect, maintain and improve the diversity and condition of native vegetation and habitats across the Local Government Area (LGA).

  • 2. Encourage the recovery of threatened species and their communities, populations and habitats across the LGA.

  • 3. Retain and strengthen the green and leafy character of the LGA, including trees in the private domain that contribute to local character and visual amenity.

• - Increase the minimum landscaped area requirement for dwelling houses and dual occupancies by 5% to 30% and 35% respectively for low density land located within the existing FSPA, proposed FSPA and the proposed UCA.

• - Introduce minimum 20% landscaped area requirement for multi dwelling house, terraces and manor houses in response to the NSW Government’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Reform.
   

Background

Council resolved on 25 March 2024 to prepare the Biodiversity, Character and FSPA Planning Proposal.  

In accordance with the Direction from the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces under Section 9.1 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and the charter of the Georges River Local Planning Panel (LPP) 2018, the Planning Proposal was referred to the Local Planning Panel on 20 June 2024.

Council’s Environment and Planning Committee considered the Planning Proposal at its meeting held on 8 July 2024. Council at its Meeting held 22 July 2024 resolved to forward Planning Proposal 2024/0002 (Biodiversity, Character and FSPA) to the DPHI for a Gateway Determination under Section 3.34 of the EP&A Act.

In November 2024, the subject Planning Proposal was consolidated with the Additional and Diverse Housing Planning Proposal in response to the request of the DPHI for ease of assessment. The consolidated Planning Proposal is now known as the Integrated Planning Proposal. A Gateway Determination was issued for the Integrated Planning Proposal on 24 March 2025.

In response to the Gateway Determination, Council at its meeting held on 28 April 2025 resolved to only progress with Part A of the Integrated Planning Proposal, which is the subject Biodiversity, Character and FSPA Planning Proposal. An Alteration to Gateway was submitted to the DPHI. Since then, Council has resolved to withdraw the Integrated Planning Proposal and Alteration to Gateway request at the meeting held 26 May 2025, and re-submit the subject Planning Proposal as a standalone proposal.

The Integrated Planning Proposal and the Alteration to Gateway request was officially withdrawn on 7 July 2025.
 

Status

The Planning Proposal was re-submitted on the NSW Planning Portal for a Gateway Determination on 9 July 2025.

The Attachments to the Planning Proposal are as follows:

• Attachment 1: Gateway Determination and Conditions dated 24 March 2025.

• Attachment 2: Minutes of Council Meeting held 26 May 2025.

• Attachment 3: Letter of approval issued by the then DPIE for the Local Housing Strategy.

• Attachment 4: Georges River Biodiversity Study.

• Attachment 5: Georges River Foreshore Scenic Character Study.

• Attachment 6: Neighbourhood Character Site Survey Matrix (Appendix to the Foreshore Study).

• Attachment 7: Community Consultation Summary Report Pre- Exhibition.

• Attachment 8: Summary of Submissions.

• Attachment 9: Review of Environmental Planning Provisions for Biodiversity in Georges River Local Government Area (June 2023).

• Attachment 10: Review of Environmental Planning Provisions for Local Character in the Georges River Local Government Area (June 2023).

• Attachment 11: Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV008-24) held 11 March 2024.

• Attachment 12: Minutes of Council Meeting held 25 March 2024.

• ​Attachment 13: Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV0025-24) held 8 July 2024.

• Attachment 14: Minutes of Council Meeting held 22 July 2024.

• Attachment 15: Report to Environment and Planning Committee (Item ENV012-25) held 14 April 2025. 

• Attachment 16: Local Character Statements for land in FSPA.

• Attachment 17: Methodology for proposed terrestrial biodiversity mapping by Total Earth Care.

• ​Attachment 18: Supporting Maps to subject Planning Proposal. 

 

Next Steps

The Planning Proposal is currently being reviewed by the DPHI as part of the Gateway Determination process. 

Amendments to the Georges River Development Control Plan 2021 (GRDCP) will be prepared to support the proposed amendments to the GRLEP. This will be the subject of a separate process which is anticipated to be reported to Council following the receipt of a Gateway Determination from the DPHI.

The amendments to the GRDCP will include:

• Replacing the existing Green Web control with a series of Green Corridors across the LGA to protect existing habitat corridors and facilitate more opportunities for creating a corridor where there is little existing vegetation,

• Introducing supporting biodiversity controls,

• Introducing detailed character statements and tailored provisions to ensure new developments will have the desired characteristics of the respective character areas, and

• Introducing provisions to further enhance the protection of the foreshore scenic character.