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New planning laws for Albury

Significant changes are being made to laws which determine what land in Albury can be used for.

 

Under the proposed changes, land owners at Splitters Creek and Table Top will be restricted from further subdividing their land.

 

The changes will have a lesser impact on people who own land in residential areas of Albury, Lavington and Thurgoona. Opportunity for residents to subdivide land in these areas hasn't changed, but - among other things - the new laws will increase the opportunity to build granny flats, or extend homes.

 

The changes are occurring because across NSW, each local council has its own planning laws which guide decisions made on development applications and outline how land can be used. They ensure, for instance, that a residential area isn't established too close to an industrial area, where it might be affected by odour or noise.

 

The State Government has decided that these laws should be standardised across NSW. It has established 25 planning zones that are relevant to Albury. AlburyCity currently has just 18 planning zones, so council needs to fit these into the State's more detailed planning system. Generally Albury's zones have shared key characteristics outlined within the State's system, so some local zones have effectively just been renamed. However, there are some significant changes which might impact on Albury residents.

 

Council is encouraging residents to attend information sessions and speak to planning staff, so they understand the impact on their property. The proposed changes are not set in stone, so now is the time for residents to have their say. Residents you have the opportunity to raise any concerns by lodging a submission. AlburyCity has designed submission forms to assist with this process.

 

The planning changes will affect what commercial development can occur in residential areas of Albury, Lavington and Thurgoona. Businesses and offices are less likely to be approved, but there remains an opportunity for health-related developments - such as medical services - and corner stores to be established. The new planning laws also reflect the existing areas of medium density housing across Albury and Lavington, allowing for more units and houses to be developed within these specific pockets.

 

Albury is also set to have a new zone which allows both business and residential use. This mixed-use zone, which affects South Albury and areas surrounding Albury and Lavington CBDs, reflects existing land use. It means, for instance, that people can live above shops and offices and that a range of businesses, such as car showrooms and restaurants, may be approved. Medium density housing, such as flats and townhouses, is also permitted in this zone. While the zone is new, it reflects the current mix of residential and business use that has occurred in these areas already, rather than a dramatic change in land use.

 

In terms of Albury's and Lavington's commercial zones, the laws provide greater certainty about building heights, suitable land use, and the scale of buildings relative to the size of the land they are built on.

 

On the outskirts of the city, agricultural land at Thurgoona and Wirlinga has been rezoned to allow residential development over the short and long-term. This offers land owners in these areas new opportunities to subdivide. Some areas within this growth front are protected under the new laws, because they provide habitat for threatened species, or have a significant impact on the area's aesthetics, for instance by serving as a scenic backdrop.

 

The planning documents that outline the changes in detail are complicated. AlburyCity is aiming to make the changes easier to understand through a series of information sessions. Four general sessions will give a big-picture sense of the changes and a series of area-specific sessions will offer more detail.




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