business - 2026-07-07

New housing rules are pushing Manly projects from three storeys to as high as nine

Source: manlyobserver.com.au

New state housing rules are beginning to visibly change Manly, with recent development applications proposing buildings of up to nine storeys in areas that were previously limited to much lower heights. For local residents, the shift matters because it will affect the scale of future apartment projects, the mix of housing in the suburb and the pace of redevelopment close to the town centre.

New state housing rules are beginning to visibly change Manly, with recent development applications proposing buildings of up to nine storeys in areas that were previously limited to much lower heights. For local residents, the shift matters because it will affect the scale of future apartment projects, the mix of housing in the suburb and the pace of redevelopment close to the town centre. The Low to Mid Rise Housing Policy was introduced by the NSW Government in March last year as part of its response to the National Housing Accord and the broader housing crisis in NSW. Manly was identified as one of nine Northern Beaches town centres covered by the policy. Under Northern Beaches Council’s existing Development Control Plan, most parts of Manly are limited to 11 metres in R3 zones and 8.5 metres in R1 zones. The state policy overrides those controls in key locations, allowing buildings up to 22 metres within 400 metres of the town centre and 17.5 metres between 400 and 800 metres away. That takes potential building heights to about six storeys. The limits increase further when a developer uses the policy’s affordable housing scheme. If 10 per cent of units are committed as...