A Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) for a townhouse development, which NSW planning instruments call multi dwelling housing, has to work through a longer checklist than a house or duplex: permissibility in the zone, floor space ratio and height under the LEP, site coverage, landscaped area and deep soil, private open space per dwelling, solar access to a proportion of dwellings, visual privacy between dwellings and to neighbours, parking rates and driveway design, waste collection, stormwater and on-site detention, tree retention, and the section 4.15 matters. Sydney councils assess townhouses more closely than any other low-rise form because the impacts are cumulative, so the SEE has to carry the numbers for every control rather than a description of the scheme.
Key takeaways
- Multi dwelling housing means three or more dwellings on one lot, each with access at ground level, and it is permissible in R3 Medium Density Residential zones and, since the February 2025 reforms, in R2 zones within 800 metres of nominated centres in the Six Cities Region.
- The LEP sets FSR, height and sometimes a minimum lot size for multi dwelling housing; the DCP sets site coverage, landscaped area, deep soil, open space, parking and design controls.
- Councils test solar access, privacy and open space for every dwelling in the scheme, not only for the neighbours.
- Parking rates, driveway widths and swept paths to AS 2890.1:2004 are checked by council traffic engineers and are a frequent source of RFIs.
- A townhouse DA needs a landscape plan, stormwater and OSD design, waste management plan and usually an arborist report lodged with the SEE.
Where townhouses are permissible and which reform applies
Multi dwelling housing is permissible with consent in R3 zones under every Sydney LEP and in R2 zones under some. The Low and Mid-Rise Housing reforms, described on the NSW Planning low and mid-rise housing page, added multi dwelling housing (terraces) and manor houses as permissible in R2 zones within 800 metres walking distance of nominated town centres and stations from 28 February 2025, with non-refusal standards for height, FSR, lot size and parking. The SEE must identify which pathway the site relies on, because the standards differ. A townhouse site on R3 land in Westmead, Merrylands, Campbelltown or Gosford is assessed under the LEP and DCP alone. A terrace scheme on R2 land within 800 metres of a nominated centre such as Blacktown, Liverpool, Penrith or Hurstville is assessed against the reform’s non-refusal standards as well. Our townhouse planning page covers both routes.
The LEP standards
Three clauses decide the envelope. Floor space ratio, which for townhouses in Sydney typically sits between 0.5:1 and 0.75:1 in R3 zones but varies by council and by lot; height of buildings, usually 8.5 to 9 metres for two-storey forms; and, in some LEPs, a minimum lot size or frontage for multi dwelling housing. The SEE gives the gross floor area calculated to the standard instrument definition (with the exclusions applied correctly), the site area from the survey, the resulting FSR to two decimal places, and the height measured from existing ground level at the highest point of the building. Where a standard is exceeded, a clause 4.6 request is a separate document and the SEE should flag it. Take the figures from the current LEP for the council, such as Parramatta LEP 2023, Campbelltown LEP 2015 or Cumberland LEP 2021.
The DCP checklist, control by control
The table lists the controls that appear in nearly every Sydney DCP chapter on multi dwelling housing. Numbers are set by each council and change over time, so take them from the current DCP.
| Control | What councils typically require | What the SEE must give |
|---|---|---|
| Site coverage | A maximum percentage of the site under buildings | Area under roof in square metres and as a percentage |
| Landscaped area and deep soil | A minimum percentage of soft landscaping, often with a deep soil minimum and minimum dimensions | Landscaped area and deep soil separately, with the DCP definition applied |
| Private open space | Minimum area and dimension per dwelling, off a living room, north facing where possible | A table of open space per dwelling |
| Solar access | A proportion of dwellings (often 70 per cent) to receive 3 hours of sun to living areas and open space on 21 June | Dwelling-by-dwelling count with shadow diagrams at 9am, 12 noon and 3pm |
| Visual privacy | Separation between facing windows and balconies, both internal and to neighbours | Window and balcony schedule with treatments |
| Setbacks and building separation | Front, side and rear, plus separation between buildings within the site | Every setback and separation dimensioned |
| Parking | Resident spaces by bedroom count plus visitor spaces, sometimes reduced near stations | Rate applied, spaces required, spaces provided |
| Driveway and manoeuvring | Width, gradient and turning to AS 2890.1:2004, vehicles to leave in a forward direction | Reference to the swept path plans |
| Waste | Bin storage, collection point, truck access or kerbside presentation | Summary of the waste management plan |
Traffic, access and swept paths
Council traffic engineers review townhouse DAs separately from the planner, and their questions are predictable: does every space meet AS 2890.1:2004, can a B99 vehicle enter and leave each space and the site in a forward direction, is the driveway wide enough where two vehicles pass, is the gradient within limits, and can the waste truck (where on-site collection is proposed) turn without reversing across the street. The SEE should summarise the parking rate and provision and point to the swept path plans. Our sister company Swept Paths prepares them.
Stormwater, OSD and the engineering referral
Every townhouse scheme in Sydney needs a stormwater concept with on-site detention designed to the council’s engineering specification, and many councils in the growth areas also require water quality treatment. The SEE states the discharge point, the OSD storage and the outlet, and confirms the design is to AS/NZS 3500.3:2021. Where the site drains to the rear, the easement position has to be settled before lodgement. Our sister company Contrive Consultants prepares the civil design and the SEE is written to match it.
Trees, landscape and amenity for the residents
Townhouse sites are usually consolidated house lots with mature trees, and councils in Parramatta, Cumberland, Campbelltown and Newcastle expect retention where the trees are healthy. The arborist report to AS 4970-2009 identifies the tree protection zones, and the landscape plan shows what is retained, what is removed and what is planted, with canopy targets where the DCP sets them. Amenity then turns inward: each dwelling needs its own open space, sun and privacy, and the SEE should show that the internal layout works as well as the boundary conditions. A scheme where the rear dwellings get no winter sun will be marked down even if the neighbours are unaffected.
The section 4.15 chapter and the design statement
The planner finishes with the heads in section 4.15(1) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979: instruments, impacts, site suitability, submissions and public interest. For townhouses the impacts chapter should deal with cumulative traffic, construction management on a tight site, and the change in streetscape from one house to several dwellings. Where the site is in a growth area such as Oran Park, Gregory Hills, Marsden Park or Edmondson Park, the SEE must also address the precinct plan under State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts, Western Parkland City) 2021 and the relevant growth centre DCP.
Frequently asked questions
What is multi dwelling housing in NSW?
Under the standard LEP definitions, multi dwelling housing is three or more dwellings on one lot of land, each with access at ground level, where no dwelling is located above another. Townhouses and villas are the usual forms. Terraces are a subset with frontage to a public road.
Can I build townhouses in an R2 zone in Sydney?
Since 28 February 2025, multi dwelling housing (terraces) and manor houses are permissible in R2 zones within 800 metres walking distance of nominated town centres and stations in the Six Cities Region, subject to non-refusal standards. Outside those areas, R2 permissibility depends on the LEP, and many councils do not allow it.
How much parking do townhouses need?
Council DCPs set rates by bedroom count plus visitor parking, and the rates vary. In the low and mid-rise reform areas the non-refusal standards set parking rates that reduce close to stations. The SEE should state the rate applied and the spaces provided.
What reports go with a townhouse DA?
At minimum: survey, architectural plans, shadow diagrams, BASIX certificates, landscape plan, stormwater and OSD design, swept path plans, waste management plan and an arborist report where trees are affected. Flood, bushfire, geotechnical, acoustic or traffic reports are added where the site or scale triggers them.
URBA prepares the Statement of Environmental Effects for townhouse and terrace developments across Sydney, including schemes in the low and mid-rise reform areas and the South West Growth Area. Send us the site address and concept plans and we will provide a fee proposal.