Complying development - SEPP exempt and complying inland housing code.

The new Inland Housing Code (IHC) came into effect on 01 January 2019 and applies to 69 Local Government Areas in NSW, including Wagga Wagga.  The INHC was adopted to increase the uptake of complying development for inland NSW.  Complying Development, in the metropolitan areas, is much higher than in inland NSW.

The IHC simplifies and tailor’s development standards by removing or varying those which are unnecessary or inappropriate in inland rural and regional areas of NSW.  The IHC now provides a more generous approach that was previously allowed.  It also provides for diagrams and a plain English style of writing so that it can be easily understood.

The aim of the Inland Housing Code is to also condense other codes into one.  However, the inland Housing Code does not apply to new release areas where the ‘Greenfield’ Housing Code applies.  Not all new release areas are ‘Greenfield’ Housing areas.

The benefit of using the IHC in the design phase will speed up the approval times and allows the bypass of Council as the Consent Authority.  Meeting the requirements allows for development to take place quickly and reduces the imposing of unnecessary DA Conditions.  The Conditions imposed by the IHC are standard and do not change.  Each Complying Development Consent granted under the Inland Housing Code contains the same conditions each and every time

Often designs that may have been thought to require a Development Application with Council, can simply funnel through to the complying development framework with minimal or no changes required.  IHC provides for a quick and cost-effective approach to development.