SEPP65 Amenity: Who are you kidding?

Abstract

The amenity provisions of State Environment Planning Policy 65 (SEPP65) in New South Wales, Australia, have become a disproportionately big influence on the design of multi-residential developments. However, both approving authorities and designers tend to apply those provisions in an overly mechanistic way. The paper discusses the performance based structure of the Residential Flat Design Code which gives effect to SEPP65, and draws attention to ways in which better amenity outcomes may be assured and a demonstrated.