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Modern Reforms to update Seniors SEPP

  • May 18, 2016

Modern Reforms to update Seniors SEPP

Members of Property Council’s NSW Retirement Living Committee have been meeting regularly to discuss the Seniors Living State and Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) and to drill down on key changes which could be made to the Seniors Living SEPP to bring it into line with current market operation.

In reviewing the SEPP, our members are quick to emphasise that the role of the planning tool in the market is critical.

“We must have a sector-specific set of policy clauses and provisions dedicated to the retirement sector. Without this planning tool in place via the Seniors SEPP it’s possible that developers won’t be able to bring to market the right amount of retirement living dwellings in the right locations.” said Michael Rabey a retirement village operator in NSW and a member of the Property Council NSW Retirement Living Committee.

Yet despite the need for the SEPP to continue to operate, there are many aspects of the policy well overdue for review.

Firstly, it has not kept pace with ongoing reforms in accordance with the Standard Local Environmental Plan template.

And, secondly, bonuses and other incentives in the Seniors SEPP are now ineffective in providing much of any market advantage over other land uses. This is particularly true when retirement, as an asset class, needs to compete with residential development.

Below is a sample of the recommendations our members provided to the Department of Planning & Environment to inform the process of SEPP reviews:

  • Increase floor space density and height controls beyond that currently afforded under the Seniors Housing, to then provide real advantages and encourage the delivery of seniors housing in a competitive housing market. 
  • Adopt new provisions relating to new and innovative forms of Seniors Housing, such as ‘couples care’. 
  • Rely upon current best practice documents such as the ‘Liveable Housing design Guidelines’ rather than the overly prescriptive standards in Schedule 3 of the Seniors SEPP. 
  • Expressly incorporate in the Seniors SEPP (or Exempt and Complying SEPP) what development is Exempt or Complying Development where it is specific to Seniors Housing. 
  • Include requirements in the Seniors SEPP that specifically relate to instances where renovation, alterations and additions to existing Seniors Housing stock is required.