The 45 existing State Environmental Planning Policies have been consolidated into 11 policies to make the system simpler.
SEPP framework
The new SEPP framework is based on these focus areas:
| Focus areas | State environmental planning policy |
|---|---|
| Housing | Housing SEPP |
| Transport and infrastructure | Transport and infrastructure SEPP |
| Primary production | Primary production SEPP |
| Biodiversity and conservation | Biodiversity and conservation SEPP |
| Resilience and hazards | Resilience and hazards SEPP |
| Industry and employment | Industry and employment SEPP |
| Resources and energy | Resources and energy SEPP |
| Planning systems | Precincts SEPPs: Eastern Harbour City SEPP, Western Parkland City SEPP, Central River City SEPP and Regional SEPP |
No changes have been made to:
- State Environmental Planning Policy No 65 – Design Quality of Residential Apartment Development
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Building Sustainability Index: BASIX) 2004
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008.
Most consolidated SEPPs took effect on 1 March 2022. The consolidated Housing SEPP took effect on 26 November 2021.
The new consolidated SEPPs
The State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 – also known as the Housing SEPP – facilitates development of affordable and diverse housing in the right places and for every stage of life.
The Housing SEPP includes the planning provisions for:
- boarding houses
- build-to-rent housing
- seniors housing
- caravan parks and manufactured home estates
- group homes
- retention of existing affordable rental housing
- secondary dwellings (granny flats)
- social and affordable housing
- short-term rental accommodation
- design quality of residential apartment development.
The Housing SEPP also contains relevant provisions for the Transport Oriented Development Program and the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.
The planning systems SEPP:
- identifies state or regionally significant development, state-significant infrastructure, and critical state-significant infrastructure
- provides for consideration of development delivery plans by local Aboriginal land councils in planning assessment
- allows the planning secretary to elect to be the concurrence authority for certain development that requires concurrence under nominated state environmental planning policies.
- Planning Systems SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 94 KB)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021
This SEPP contains:
- planning rules and controls for the clearing of native vegetation in NSW on land zoned for urban and environmental purposes that is not linked to a development application
- the land use planning and assessment framework for koala habitat
- provisions which establish a consistent and co-ordinated approach to environmental planning and assessment along the Murray River
- provisions seeking to protect and preserve bushland within public open space zones and reservations
- provisions which aim to prohibit canal estate development
- provisions to support the water quality objectives for the Sydney drinking water catchment
- provisions to protect the environment of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system
- provisions to manage and improve environmental outcomes for Sydney Harbour and its tributaries
- provisions to manage and promote integrated catchment management policies along the Georges River and its tributaries
- provisions which seek to protect, conserve and manage the World Heritage listed Willandra Lakes property.
- Biodiversity and Conservation SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 137 KB).
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021.
This SEPP contains planning provisions:
- for land use planning within the coastal zone, consistent with the Coastal Management Act 2016
- to manage hazardous and offensive development
- which provide a state-wide planning framework for the remediation of contaminated land and to minimise the risk of harm.
- Resilience and Hazards SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 127 KB)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Resilience and Hazards) 2021
This SEPP contains planning provisions:
- for infrastructure in NSW, such as hospitals, roads, railways, emergency services, water supply and electricity delivery
- for child-care centres, schools, TAFEs and universities
- for the protection of three corridors (North South Rail Line, South West Rail Link extension and Western Sydney Freight Line)
- the land use planning and assessment framework for appropriate development at Port Kembla, Port Botany and Port of Newcastle.
- Transport and Infrastructure SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 95 KB)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021
This SEPP contains planning provisions:
- applying to employment land in western Sydney
- for advertising and signage in NSW.
- Industry and Employment SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 126 KB)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021
This SEPP contains planning provisions:
- for the assessment and development of mining, petroleum production and extractive material resource proposals in NSW
- which aim to facilitate the development of extractive resources near the population of the Sydney Metropolitan Area by identifying land which contains extractive material of regional significance.
- Resources and Energy SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 127 KB)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Resources and Energy) 2021
This SEPP contains planning provisions:
- to manage primary production and rural development including supporting sustainable agriculture
- for the protection of prime agricultural land of state and regional significance as well as regionally significant mining and extractive resources.
- Primary Production SEPP – Fact sheet (PDF, 92 KB)
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Primary Production) 2021
This SEPP contains provisions for precinct planning, a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts are located in the Eastern Harbour City. This city is based on the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities.
This SEPP contains provisions for precinct planning, a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts are located in the Central River City. This city is based on the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities.
This SEPP contains provisions for precinct planning, a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts are located in the Western Parkland City. This city is based on the strategic planning vision of the ‘three cities’ regions identified in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – A Metropolis of Three Cities.
This SEPP contains provisions for precinct planning, a form of strategic planning applied to a specified geographic area. The precincts are located in regional NSW outside the Greater Sydney Region Plan.