Service

Apartments and Mixed Use Planning

Planning reports and DA coordination for residential flat buildings, shop-top housing and boarding houses where the site suits it.

Larger residential projects bring the Housing SEPP, the Apartment Design Guide and design review panels into the assessment. URBA prepares the Statement of Environmental Effects and coordinates the consultant team for residential flat buildings, shop-top housing, co-living and boarding house proposals, mainly in the R3, R4, E1 and MU1 zones of Sydney and regional centres.

This is a smaller part of our work than houses, duplexes and townhouses, and we say so. Where a project needs a larger planning team, we will tell you early.

Who this is for

Residential flat buildings up to about 40 units
Shop-top housing in centres
Co-living and boarding houses under the Housing SEPP
Mixed use in MU1 and E1 zones

What the report or service includes

Permissibility and Housing SEPP chapter assessment
Apartment Design Guide compliance table with the architect
Statement of Environmental Effects and Clause 4.6 requests
Pre-lodgement and design review panel preparation
Coordination of traffic, acoustic, stormwater, geotechnical, BASIX and landscape reports

How it works

Step

Feasibility

Yield and controls before design.

Step

Pre-lodgement

Meeting with council and design review where required.

Step

DA

SEE and coordinated documentation.

Step

Assessment

RFI responses and panel preparation.

Frequently asked questions

Do apartment DAs need a design review panel?

Many councils refer residential flat buildings to a design excellence or review panel before lodgement or during assessment. The SEE and drawings need to address the Apartment Design Guide and the panel's comments.

Where we provide this service

Across Sydney, Western Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter, the Illawarra and regional NSW. See the areas we service for council-specific notes, including Blacktown, Penrith, The Hills, Liverpool, Camden and the Central Coast.

Services that often go with this one

Reading

Guides related to apartments and larger projects

15 Sep 2026