Sydney rezoning 2026 · By council
Sydney Rezoning 2026: Transport Oriented Development and Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy by Council
Sydney is Going Higher and Denser.
State Government has rezoned most of Sydney and many local councils have their own alternative proposals. Here is what applies area by area, and what is likely to be built.
The short version
Five things buyers need to know.
- 1
Three Cities Plan is out. Sydney Plan is in.
Councils must rezone to allow 30 years of actual buildable capacity. South and Western industrial areas are preserved for industry, pushing density to the inner suburbs.
- 2
Feasibility trumps planning - for now.
Government wants to build 263,400 new homes by 2029. Land and construction costs will accelerate builds in higher priced suburbs, where developers can make their margin.
- 3
Street level detail matters in every suburb.
TOD and LMR zones - and councils' alternative proposals - are mapped by walking distance and time from a centre, not a theoretical radius.
- 4
Heritage areas are not exempt or immune.
The federation home next door may not be demolished, but the 70s build three doors down could become four to six storeys.
- 5
Every street is potentially affected.
Duplexes are now permitted in every R2 (low density residential) zone in Sydney.
All 33 councils
Sydney Development Policy Checker
Search a council or suburb. Open a row for the centres covered, what happens next and any state-led rezoning.
Bayside10,100State controlsOne of the most heavily covered councils in Sydney. State TOD controls since 2024, LMR over the rest. No alternative filed.
What applies
TOD at Banksia, Rockdale, Turrella and Kogarah (shared with Georges River). LMR at 7 centres: Arncliffe, Banksia, Bexley North, Kogarah, Rockdale, Rockdale Plaza, Turrella.
What happens next
Rockdale and Kogarah keep absorbing large state-assessed projects. LEP rewrite due 2027-29.
Blacktown21,400State controlsSecond largest target in Sydney and no public fight over it. Greenfield release carries the growth.
What applies
LMR at 4 centres: Blacktown, Doonside, Mount Druitt, Seven Hills.
What happens next
Watch feasibility, not zoning. Apartment projects this far west rarely stack up.
State-led rezoning
- Indigo Road, Blacktown 2026 cohort
- Schofields Station Precinct 2026 cohort
- Riverstone Town Centre 2024 cohort
- West Schofields 2024 cohort
- Marsden Park North 2024 cohort
- Tallawong Town Centre 2025 cohort
Blue Mountains600ExcludedWhole-LGA exclusion on bushfire and evacuation risk.
What applies
Stage 1 dual occupancy only. No nominated LMR centres.
What happens next
The exclusion is by hazard, not negotiation, so it holds. The 30-year capacity rule still applies to the LEP.
Burwood3,300Own schemeWon the TOD substitution at Croydon. Council-written LEP controls since February 2026.
What applies
TOD at Croydon (shared with Inner West). LMR at Burwood.
What happens next
Burwood town centre stays a high-density node under council control. Expect more consolidation around the station.
State-led rezoning
- Burwood North Metro precinct Up to 18,300 homes and 3,900 jobs across 113 hectares within 800m of the new metro. Heights 8 to 42 storeys, 5 to 10% affordable housing. Exhibited from 10 March 2026. Shared with Canada Bay.
Camden10,200State controlsQuiet. The target is met through greenfield estates, so the state controls have little bite.
What applies
LMR at 2 centres: Camden, Narellan.
What happens next
The greenfield sequencing plan due 2028 matters far more here than LMR.
State-led rezoning
- Menangle Road, Camden 2026 cohort
- Leppington Town Centre 2024 cohort
- Springfield Road, Catherine Fields 2025 cohort
Campbelltown10,500State controlsFive centres, no substitution sought. Apartment feasibility here moved from viable to negative between 2023 and 2025.
What applies
LMR at 5 centres: Campbelltown, Glenfield, Ingleburn, Macarthur, Minto.
What happens next
Uplift is largely theoretical until construction costs fall or prices rise.
State-led rezoning
- Macarthur Gardens North 2024 cohort
- Glenfield West 2025 cohort
Canada Bay5,000State controlsLodged a detailed submission in 2024 but sought no substitution. State TOD controls at North Strathfield since November 2024.
What applies
TOD at North Strathfield Metro. LMR at 5 centres: Concord, Concord West, Drummoyne, Five Dock, North Strathfield.
What happens next
Five Dock and North Strathfield sit on the new metro. One of the few places where mid-rise stacks up.
State-led rezoning
- Burwood North Metro precinct Up to 18,300 homes within 800m of the new metro station. Shared with Burwood.
Canterbury-Bankstown14,500Own schemeThe largest substitution in Sydney. All five TOD precincts replaced with council LEP controls, phased from May 2025 to April 2026.
What applies
Bankstown accelerated precinct. TOD at Belmore, Canterbury, Lakemba, Punchbowl, Wiley Park. LMR at 4 centres: Bankstown, Chester Hill, Regents Park, Riverwood.
What happens next
Punchbowl and Wiley Park landed in April 2026 and are the newest controls in the state. This is the template other councils copy.
Cumberland12,200State controlsHeavily covered and largely compliant. Flood exclusions remove meaningful parts of the LGA from the LMR maps.
What applies
TOD at Berala, Lidcombe. LMR at 5 centres: Auburn, Berala, Granville, Lidcombe, Westmead.
What happens next
The Westmead health and education precinct is the growth engine, not the LMR layer.
State-led rezoning
- Westmead South 2025 cohort
Fairfield5,900State controlsTarget doubled in the 2024 revision with little pushback. Flood-prone land is carved out of the maps.
What applies
LMR at 3 centres: Cabramatta, Canley Vale, Fairfield.
What happens next
Feasibility is the constraint here, not council resistance.
Georges River6,300Asked, refusedAsked for a deferral from Stage 2. Told in February 2025 it would not get one.
What applies
TOD at Kogarah (shared with Bayside). LMR at 5 centres: Hurstville, Mortdale, Oatley, Penshurst, Riverwood.
What happens next
Hurstville and Kogarah keep drawing large applications. A council-led scheme is the only lever left, and it has not been accepted.
State-led rezoning
- Beverly Hills Town Centre 2025 cohort
Hawkesbury1,300ExcludedWhole-LGA exclusion on flood and evacuation risk across the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain.
What applies
Stage 1 dual occupancy only. No nominated LMR centres.
What happens next
The exclusion holds while the flood risk does. The target still stands and must be met elsewhere in the LGA.
Hornsby5,500OpposedAsked to write its own response to the targets. Got the targets and the state's controls.
What applies
Hornsby accelerated precinct. LMR at 5 centres: Asquith, Hornsby, Pennant Hills Market Place, Thornleigh Marketplace, Waitara.
What happens next
The accelerated precinct is final. Council influence is now limited to the DCP and the 2027-29 LEP rewrite.
Hunters Hill400OpposedSmallest target in Sydney, but it doubled in 2024. Formally opposed in February 2024 on heritage and character.
What applies
Stage 1 dual occupancy only. No nominated LMR centres.
What happens next
The exposure is Stage 1 dual occupancy across R2. Heritage conservation area coverage is the live question.
Inner West7,800Seeking swapWants TOD and LMR replaced with its own Our Fairer Future Plan - about 27,000 dwellings by 2039. Not yet accepted.
What applies
TOD at Ashfield, Dulwich Hill, Marrickville and Croydon (shared with Burwood). LMR at 10 centres: Annandale, Ashfield, Croydon, Dulwich Hill, Leichhardt Market Place, Lilyfield, Marrickville, Petersham, St Peters, Stanmore.
What happens next
Until the swap is accepted, the state controls apply. If it is, this becomes the largest council-led scheme in Sydney.
State-led rezoning
- Bays West Up to 8,500 homes at White Bay, Glebe Island, Rozelle Bay and the Rozelle Rail Yards. Approved December 2022. Shared with City of Sydney.
- Parramatta Road, Inner West Up to 8,000 homes. Exhibition expected late 2026.
- Parramatta Road, Haberfield 2026 cohort, pre-exhibition
- Our Fairer Future Plan Council's own plan, post-exhibition
- Sydney Markets 2025 cohort, pre-exhibition
- WestConnex Dive Site, Camperdown 2025 cohort, under assessment
Ku-ring-gai7,600Own schemeThe only council to take the state to court. Its own scheme took effect on 14 November 2025.
What applies
TOD at Gordon, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville. LMR at 8 centres: Gordon, Killara, Lindfield, Pymble, Roseville, St Ives, Turramurra, Wahroonga.
What happens next
The council scheme carries 24,728 dwellings against 21,430 under the state's TOD controls. More than 20 large proposals were already lodged when it landed.
Lane Cove3,400NegotiatingThe quiet technical win. Argued six storeys out of the village core and secured 12 months to set its own minimum lot sizes.
What applies
LMR at Lane Cove.
What happens next
St Leonards South is already delivering around 2,000 dwellings. Council says it has the zoning and does not need more.
Liverpool16,700State controlsFourth largest target in Sydney against a single nominated centre. No substitution sought.
What applies
LMR at Liverpool.
What happens next
The Aerotropolis and greenfield release do the work. The LMR layer is close to irrelevant.
State-led rezoning
- Moore Point 2024 cohort
- Warwick Farm 2025 cohort
Mosman500Seeking swapAsked the Minister to pause LMR while its own master plan was assessed. Refused on 6 July 2026.
What applies
LMR at Spit Junction.
What happens next
The master plan still goes to the state for assessment. Until it is accepted, state controls apply at Spit Junction.
North Sydney5,900Working with itDid not fight the density. Crows Nest was finalised in November 2024 with buildings from 6 to 62 storeys.
What applies
Crows Nest accelerated precinct. LMR at 7 centres: Cremorne, Crows Nest, Milsons Point, Neutral Bay, Victoria Cross, Waverton, Wollstonecraft.
What happens next
The North Shore centres are where the LMR change now shows up. North Sydney CBD was carved out of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway in May 2026.
Northern Beaches5,900OpposedCalled for the reforms to be scrapped in February 2024. About 11,000 properties are affected across the nine centres.
What applies
LMR at 9 centres: Balgowlah, Dee Why, Forestville, Forestway, Frenchs Forest, Manly, Manly Vale, Mona Vale, Warringah Mall.
What happens next
The Opposition has promised councils an alternative plan pathway if it wins in March 2027. Northern Beaches is the LGA most likely to use it.
Parramatta19,500State controlsThird largest target and broadly aligned with the state.
What applies
LMR at 5 centres: Carlingford Court, Epping, Northmead Village, Westmead, Winston Hills Mall.
What happens next
Parramatta sits on the feasibility line. Projects east of it stack up, projects west of it often do not.
State-led rezoning
- Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta 2024 cohort
- Parramatta Metro precinct 470 homes plus 500 student rooms in four buildings of 24 to 43 storeys. Announced 8 September 2026.
Penrith8,400Own schemeWon the substitution at St Marys. Council LEP controls since February 2026.
What applies
TOD at St Marys Metro. LMR at Penrith.
What happens next
St Marys is the western end of the metro. Council control of the envelope matters more here than anywhere else in the west.
Randwick4,000State controlsMade submissions, sought no substitution. Five light rail catchments now carry the state controls.
What applies
LMR at 5 centres: Kensington, Kingsford Juniors, Maroubra Junction, Randwick, UNSW Anzac Parade.
What happens next
One of the strongest apartment feasibility markets in Sydney. Where the state controls produce buildings, Randwick is near the top of the list.
State-led rezoning
- Bunnerong Road, Kingsford About 185 homes, 50% social and affordable, 3 to about 8 storeys. Finalised.
Ryde11,600OpposedLargest target on the north side and the widest LMR coverage there. Councillors opposed the changes.
What applies
Macquarie Park accelerated precinct. LMR at 6 centres: Eastwood, Macquarie Park, Meadowbank, North Ryde, Top Ryde, West Ryde.
What happens next
Macquarie Park is final and building. The LMR centres are the next wave, and Ryde has no substitution in place to shape them.
Strathfield3,500State controlsA small LGA carrying a full accelerated precinct. No substitution sought.
What applies
Homebush accelerated precinct. LMR at 2 centres: Flemington, Homebush.
What happens next
Homebush is final. The constraint from here is infrastructure, not permission.
State-led rezoning
- Strathfield Triangle 2026 cohort, pre-exhibition
Sutherland Shire6,000OpposedWidest LMR coverage in southern Sydney. Objects that the Sydney Plan commits no new infrastructure to the shire.
What applies
LMR at 10 centres: Caringbah, Cronulla, Engadine, Gymea, Kirrawee, Menai Marketplace, Miranda, Southgate, Sutherland, Woolooware.
What happens next
The Sydney Plan directs Sutherland to cut minimum lot sizes for dual occupancies, terraces and townhouses. That is not optional.
State-led rezoning
- Kurnell Peninsula About 4,300 homes. 2024 cohort.
- Flide Street, Caringbah 2025 cohort
Sydney18,900Working with itAligned with the direction. CBD land was excluded from the Housing Delivery Authority pathway in May 2026.
What applies
LMR at 8 centres: Broadway, Darlinghurst and Paddington (Oxford Street), Erskineville, Kings Cross, Newtown, Redfern, Surry Hills south, Waterloo.
What happens next
The LMR centres overlay some of Sydney's densest heritage terraces. That is where the friction will be.
State-led rezoning
- Bays West Up to 8,500 homes, approved December 2022. Shared with Inner West.
- Waterloo Estate (South) 2025 cohort, pre-exhibition
- Sydney Fish Market site, Blackwattle Bay 2024 cohort, at finalisation
- Central Place Sydney 2024 cohort, post-exhibition
The Hills23,300OpposedLargest target in Sydney and the loudest infrastructure campaign. A 20,697-signature petition forced a parliamentary debate in September 2025.
What applies
Bella Vista and Kellyville accelerated precincts. LMR at 7 centres: Baulkham Hills, Bella Vista, Castle Hill, Hills Showground, Kellyville, Norwest, Winston Hills Mall.
What happens next
The precincts proceeded. Bella Vista and Kellyville are planned to hold about 23,000 people inside 1.04 square kilometres.
Waverley2,400Own schemeChose to lead. Passed its own Bondi Junction master plan on 21 July 2026 for at least 3,000 homes and about 10% affordable housing.
What applies
LMR at Bondi Junction.
What happens next
Expect Rose Bay and the Bondi Road corridor to be the next conversation.
Willoughby3,400OpposedFormal submission after March 2025. No substitution sought or granted, so the state controls stand.
What applies
LMR at 3 centres: Artarmon, Chatswood, Northbridge Plaza.
What happens next
Chatswood already carries high density. The change that matters is Artarmon and Northbridge, where six storeys is new.
State-led rezoning
- Chatswood Dive Site 2025 cohort, pre-exhibition
Wollondilly5,500ExcludedWhole-LGA exclusion on bushfire, flood and evacuation risk. The 5,500 target still stands.
What applies
Stage 1 dual occupancy only. No nominated LMR centres.
What happens next
Greenfield release and the Wilton and Appin growth areas carry the target, not infill.
Woollahra1,900OpposedThe most sustained campaign in Sydney. Target nearly quadrupled from 500 to 1,900. No substitution accepted.
What applies
LMR at 3 centres: Double Bay, Edgecliff, Rose Bay.
What happens next
Double Bay and Edgecliff carry the largest envelopes. The heritage conservation area question is unresolved.
State-led rezoning
- Edgecliff and Woollahra Up to 9,400 homes over 20 years across 168 hectares, with a new Woollahra rail station targeted for 2029. Heights to 34 storeys at Edgecliff and 32 at Woollahra. Around half the dwellings sit inside heritage conservation areas. Draft on exhibition from 8 September 2026.
No council matches. Try a council name, or send me the suburb and I will tell you what applies.
TOD = Transport Oriented Development. LMR = Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy. LEP = local environmental plan. Own scheme = council-written controls replaced the state's.
What can be built
The controls, in one table.
What the Low and Mid-Rise policy permits, by distance from a nominated centre.
| Where | Height | Storeys | Floor space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 400m, R3 and R4 zones | 22m | 6 | 2.2:1 |
| 400 to 800m, R3 and R4 zones | 17.5m | 4 | 1.5:1 |
| R1 and R2 zones | 9.5m | 3 | |
| Inside a TOD precinct | 22m | 6 | 2.5:1 |
- Bonus. Affordable housing can add up to 30% on top.
- Duplex next door. Any R2 lot of 450sqm with a 12m frontage. Pattern Book designs are approved in ten days.
- Subdivision. In R1 to R3 zones, down to 225sqm per dwelling.
- Excluded. Heritage items, bushfire vegetation categories 1 to 3, flood planning areas in 22 LGAs, coastal vulnerability areas, aircraft noise above ANEF 25, land within 200m of a high-pressure pipeline.
The rules
There are eight policies reshaping Sydney.
Each links to the primary source.
- 0113 May 2024
Transport Oriented Development
State controls within 400m of 37 stations.
- 02
Eight accelerated precincts
Crows Nest, Macquarie Park, Homebush, Hornsby, Bella Vista, Kellyville, Bankstown, Bays West.
- 031 July 2024
Low and Mid-Rise, Stage 1
Dual occupancy in every R2 zone in NSW.
- 0428 February 2025
Low and Mid-Rise, Stage 2
Terraces, townhouses and apartments within an 800m walk of 171 nominated centres.
- 05
Housing Delivery Authority
Projects over $60m bypass council assessment.
- 0630 July 2025
Housing Pattern Book
Eight pre-approved designs, approved in ten days.
- 07
State-led rezoning
67 rezonings targeting roughly 240,000 homes.
- 0813 August 2026
The Sydney Plan
Councils must zone 30 years of feasible capacity, rewriting plans 2027-29.
Common questions
Straight answers.
Is my street affected by the NSW housing reforms?
Almost certainly. Since 1 July 2024 dual occupancy has been permissible in every R2 zone in NSW, with no map and no catchment. Whether more applies depends on how far the property sits from one of the 171 nominated centres, and whether the council substituted its own controls.
Will rezoning raise or lower property values?
Both, sometimes 200 metres apart. New apartment supply around a nominated centre pressures apartment values there. A house on a lot that can be amalgamated carries site value where the numbers work. The test is what a developer would pay for the site. If that answer is negative, the uplift is theoretical and you should not pay for it.
Will my suburb get too dense?
Far less than the maps suggest. Only about 23% of zoned capacity is commercially buildable. A year into Stage 2, around 4,900 homes had been approved against a five-year projection of 112,000. Most change will be dual occupancies and townhouses on ordinary residential streets.
Is it a bad idea to buy in a rezoned suburb?
No. Rezoning is close to universal, so ruling out rezoned suburbs rules out most of Sydney. What matters: is the property inside an 800m catchment, what can the adjoining lots take, did the council keep control of the envelope, and is development on that street viable or only permitted.
Should I buy next to a site that can be redeveloped?
It is knowable before you buy. Check whether the neighbouring lots meet the thresholds and whether a project there would be profitable. Amalgamation potential cuts both ways - the feature that brings a development next door can make your own property worth more to the same buyer.
How many storeys can be built near me?
Within 400m of a nominated centre: 22 metres, about six storeys, in R3 and R4 zones. Between 400 and 800m: 17.5 metres, about four storeys. In R1 and R2 zones: 9.5 metres, about three storeys. Affordable housing bonuses can add up to 30%.
Can my neighbour build a duplex next door?
If the lot is zoned R2, at least 450 square metres, with at least 12 metres of frontage - yes. The Housing Pattern Book offers eight pre-approved designs with a ten-day approval pathway. In R1 to R3 zones the resulting dwellings can be subdivided down to 225 square metres each.
Does the policy apply in a heritage conservation area?
Yes. Individually listed heritage items are excluded. Conservation areas are not - the controls apply and the council assesses on merit. That slows development but it is not an exemption. If you are paying a premium on the assumption a conservation area protects the street, check it before you bid.
Which Sydney councils wrote their own rules?
Four replaced the state TOD envelope with their own controls: Ku-ring-gai, Canterbury-Bankstown, Penrith at St Marys and Burwood at Croydon. Waverley wrote its own Bondi Junction master plan and Lane Cove won twelve months to set its own lot sizes. Inner West and Mosman have alternatives filed that have not been accepted.
Will six-storey apartment buildings get built near me?
In some places yes, in most no. NSW Treasury modelling puts the cost of one apartment in a seven-storey Sydney building at $1,049,123 against a modelled sale price of $1,102,721 - a 5% margin above a developer's hurdle rate, down from 13% in 2023. Projects generally stack up east of Parramatta and are frequently negative west of it.
How do I check what applies to an address?
Start with the NSW Planning Spatial Viewer, which maps the controls property by property. Then check whether the council has substituted its own LEP controls. Or send us the suburb, street or pocket and we will check it and write back.
What happens between 2027 and 2029?
Under the Sydney Plan, finalised 13 August 2026, every council must keep at least 30 years of feasible housing capacity zoned, and rewrite its plans between 2027 and 2029 to provide it. Feasible means commercially viable, not merely permitted. This round is expected to reach suburbs the current maps do not touch.
Still confused? Need help?
Tell me where you are looking.
A suburb, a street or a pocket you're focused on buying in. We'll point you in the right direction to understand what rules apply and, more importantly, what will likely be developed.
Tell me where you are lookingSources. Buildability: NSW Productivity and Equality Commission, Building more homes where the numbers stack up, July 2026. Apartment cost and margin: NSW Treasury modelling. Controls and exclusions: NSW Department of Planning. Check any property on the NSW Planning Spatial Viewer. State-led precincts: Edgecliff and Woollahra, Burwood North Metro, Bays West. General information, not planning or financial advice.