From 1 July 2024, dual occupancies and semi-detached homes will be allowed in all R2 low-density residential zones across NSW. These changes are stage of 1 of the government’s reform and are set out in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) Amendment (Dual Occupancies and Semi-Detached Dwellings) 2024.  

These changes won’t apply to:  

• land with a high risk from natural hazards like bushfire and floods,  

• land located close to dangerous goods pipelines and hazardous aircraft noise,  

• land that includes a heritage item, and  

• the Bathurst, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Wollondilly areas due to bushfire, flooding and evacuation risks. Bathurst has no suitable R2 land.  

The complying development pathway available to dual occupancy development under the Codes SEPP will be temporarily switched off in areas where this development type wasn’t previously allowed.  

This will give councils the chance to plan for appropriate settings such as lot sizes for dual occupancy developments in their areas. The complying development pathway will be reinstated in these locations as part of stage 2 of the reforms. If dual occupancies are already permitted in your area with a complying development pathway, this will stay the same.  

In the government’s initial announcement last year, dual occupancies would be permitted on 450m2 lots. The new provisions do not provide for this. Stage 2 of the reforms will be introduced later in 2024.