Southwell Certifiers

NSW Registered Subdivision & Strata Certifier | Civil Engineer | Faster approvals, fewer surprises, on-time registration

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

The Low and Mid-Rise Housing reform (28 Feb 2025) changed the development standards for building a duplex.

It did not change the subdivision rules in Part 6 of the Codes SEPP.

The five lot size rules for dual occupancy CDC subdivision still apply.

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

3/ Trap 2: Approval pathway. The duplex must have been approved under a CDC. A DA duplex must subdivide via Council.

Trap 3: Title. Covenants and easements running with the land can block a subdivision regardless of lot size.
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[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

1/ Three eligibility traps override every lot size rule for dual occupancy CDC subdivision in NSW.

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

2/ Trap 1: Permissibility. Dual occupancy must be listed as permissible in the LEP land use table for the exact zone on the exact site. The 1 July 2024 R2 expansion still excludes several LGAs.

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

Tandem duplex layouts cannot be subdivided under CDC in NSW.

Under the LRHDC, no dwelling can sit behind another on the same lot. Side-by-side only.

Sites bought planning a tandem footprint can't use the CDC subdivision pathway.

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

DA duplex = DA subdivision.
CDC duplex = CDC subdivision.
The pathways are locked together.
Decide before the build approval, not after.
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[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

Battle-axe layouts don't work for dual occupancy CDC subdivision in NSW.

Each resulting lot needs lawful frontage to a public road. A handle off another lot doesn't satisfy the rule.

If the layout depends on a handle, you need a Council DA, not a CDC.

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

Trapezoid block with a 9m street frontage?
Still workable for dual occupancy CDC subdivision in NSW.
The 6m width rule is measured at the building line, not at the street. A block that widens toward the rear can satisfy it comfortably.

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

The Codes SEPP default minimum lot size for dual occupancy subdivision in NSW is 200m².

Most councils override this. Typical LEP figures sit between 250m² and 300m².

Always check the LEP land size schedule before relying on 200m².

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

7/ Three eligibility traps override every lot size rule:
→ Dual occupancy must be permissible in the LEP land use table
→ The duplex must have been approved by CDC, not DA
→ No title restrictions can block the subdivision
Full guide on the site.

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

1/ Dual occupancy CDC subdivision in NSW is governed by 5 lot size rules.
Miss one and the certificate cannot issue. The project falls back to Council.
Here are all five. 🧵

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

6/ Rule 5: No dwelling can sit behind another dwelling on the same lot.
Side-by-side only. Tandem duplex footprints can't subdivide under CDC.

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

9/9
15,000 to 20,000 R2 lots are expected to unlock across C-B over the next 24 months as the Bankstown line converts to Metro and the LMR Reform lands.
If your pipeline touches the LGA, the work starts at the Clause Application Map.
Full article and reference table: URL in first comment.

#nswplanning #propertydevelopment

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

1/9
If you're working on a dual occupancy or subdivision in Canterbury-Bankstown, the first question isn't "what's the lot size?"
It's "is this lot in Area 1 or Area 2?"
Get it wrong and the lodgement gets knocked back at intake.
Thread on how the LGA actually works.

[Southwell Certifiers @TheDeanDK]

Tighter than the LEP in some places. Looser in others. The lot decides.
8/9
Three patterns we see regularly:

Owner uses Area 1 figures. Lot is in Area 2. Loses 60 to 100m² of yield.
Architect designs to Code SEPP. Lot only eligible under LEP via Schedule 1. Pathway switches CDC to DA at the eleventh hour.
Subdivision lot count designed off the dual occ minimum, not the subdivision minimum.