NSW Lifts Bans on Terraces, Townhouses, and 2-Storey Apartment Blocks

The New South Wales (NSW) government will force councils to allow the construction of terraces, townhouses, and two-storey apartment blocks in suburbs where they are currently banned. The change enables building homes near transportation, infrastructure, and social amenities to address the state’s housing shortage crisis. It will create capacity for 112,000 homes out of the required 377,000 across Greater Sydney, Hunter, Central Coast, and Illawarra by 2029. Planning Minister Paul Scully said Sydney is among the world’s least dense cities, yet fewer than half of the councils permit low- and mid-rise residential buildings in areas suitable for such homes. He said allowing the townhouses, apartments, and terraces in areas with shops, high streets, and parks is “density done well.”...