Dominic Perrottet’s new rules to create ‘liveable, workable, beautiful’ Sydney

Dominic Perrottet’s pledge to beautify Sydney will be enshrined in NSW’s planning rules. Here’s what must be prioritised in new developments.

Dominic Perrottet’s pledge to beautify Sydney will be enshrined in NSW’s planning rules, with new regulations proposed to ensure new developments prioritise both function and form.

Delivering The Daily Telegraph’s Bradfield Oration last week, the Premier outlined his vision for a “liveable, workable, beautiful” Sydney.

Proposed new planning regulations — now open for public comment — seek to make that vision a reality.

The $3.2 billion redevelopment of 8 Parramatta Square – all 225 metres and 55 storeys of it – is one of Planning Minister Rob Stoke’s favourite Sydney buildings.

The draft plans would require new apartments to have larger balconies, and communal rooftop areas with shade structures would be encouraged.

Ground floor apartments facing the street would need to have separate street access to make life easier for residents, and storage space in apartment blocks would be enlarged for each dwelling.

Under the draft plan, greenfield developments would need to have certain amounts of public space ready for when people move in.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Planning Minister Rob Stokes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

The rules would set a target for new developments to be so-called “20-minute neighbourhoods,” so residents can access shops, parks or even schools within a 20-minute walk.

This could be achieved by creating more thoroughfares in between buildings or roads, avoiding the need to navigate dead-end cul-de-sacs.

A new type of room would be introduced, allowing new homes to include a “study room” — a windowed room slightly smaller than a bedroom — which was previously not allowed.

Thermal performance targets would be increased to keep homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter, saving residents up to $980 each year in the process.

Apartments under construction in Waterloo. Picture: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

Planning Minister Rob Stokes said the draft regulations — officially known as the Design and Place State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) — have been informed by cost-benefit analysis to prevent prohibitive costs.

“We fundamentally need to increase housing supply but … we want it to be high quality,” he said.

“We believe that everyone has a right not just to a home but a decent place to call home.”

The EY Building on George St is another of Mr Stokes’ favourites.

EY has received international recognition for its design and construction.

New buildings would have to ensure they add safety to the neighbourhood — including with street lighting, outward facing balconies and ground-floor shops — to encourage a sense of community rather than empty streets.

“Communities have traditionally resisted new apartments being built in their suburbs because they’ve been ugly,” he said.

“So this is about ensuring that we build apartments that are beautiful, that are usable and that people actually want to want to work from,” Mr Stokes said.

The draft rules will be open for comment until February 28, with the government aiming to have them in place by the end of next year.

Asked for a list of “beautiful” buildings, Mr Stokes said some of the “great’ new developments in Sydney include the new AMP building, the EY building near Circular Quay, and the new Parramatta Square.

NSW Government architect Abbie Galvin said the proposed changes to apartment and urban design guides have responded to changes in how people are using their homes.

“During the pandemic we’ve seen our homes and apartments become schools, offices and gyms and many of us have enjoyed walking or cycling more in our neighbourhoods,” she said.

“This timely policy seeks to reflect our new way of living.”