Kogarah Residents' Association for Georges River Council

01/09/2026

Consultation is still open on the draft Kogarah Strategic Centre Master Plan, which will guide how Kogarah grows and changes over the next 20 years.

Watch our community webinar recording to learn more about the draft Master Plan, then share your feedback on the proposed future direction for Kogarah. Feedback closes 9 September.

Visit Your Say to learn more: https://yoursay.georgesriver.nsw.gov.au/

30/08/2026

FINALISED STATE-WIDE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PLAN

The new state-wide Community Participation Plan has been finalised and many of the community's concerns have been heard loud and clear and actioned in the new CPP. Significant changes include:

* residential flat buildings and shop top housing development types will remain subject to a minimum 14-day exhibition instead of being excluded from exhibition
* state significant projects will be exhibited for a minimum of 28 days
* exhibition timeframes for draft district and regional plans and local strategic planning statements have increased to a legislated minimum of 60 days
* council related developments will be exhibited for a minimum of 28 days instead of being excluded from exhibition
* planning proposals which amend LEPs, as well as draft DCPs, will be exhibited for a minimum of 28 days
* minimum exhibition timeframes have been retained instead of recommended timeframes
* a reduced list of supposedly lower impact development types that will not require exhibition
* works on heritage buildings are no longer exempt from public exhibition
* alterations to schools and community/health/education infrastructure are no longer exempt from public exhibition
* the requirement that submitters must lodge submissions before the close of the exhibition period has been removed and feedback can now be provided to the consent authority at any stage of an application. “Submissions and feedback will be taken into account” during assessment

Unfortunately, there is still a long list of developments that will be exempt from public exhibition including, bizarrely, bed and breakfast accommodation; as well as dwelling houses and dual occupancy up to two storeys; multi dwelling and attached dwelling up to 5 dwellings; secondary dwellings; subdivision of land resulting in no more than 5 new lots and, even more bizarrely subdivision of land that is subject to an existing development consent for its current use. Plus sadly, tree removal on private land.

Overall though, an overwhelmingly positive outcome for all of the 1000+ submitters that cared enough to make their voices heard. Never let it be said that you don't make a difference because you certainly do.

The finalised Community Participation Plan can be viewed at the following link -
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-04/community-participation-plan.pdf

And the rather cursory 6-page summary of submissions -
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2026/community-participation-plan-what-we-heard.pdf

17/08/2026

17/07/2026

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 - 𝐒𝐌𝐇

This article outlines how consultation for 16 different residential development types will be slashed under the new 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 (𝐂𝐏𝐏)- including new single and 2-storey dwellings, dual occupancies, pools, demolitions and attached dwelling with only 7 days notice required for shop-top housing and residential flat buildings.

Tree removal will also no longer be notified to local residents unless listed as a heritage item.

Fairfield City Mayor Frank Carbone is quoted saying, "𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑗𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑡 7𝑎𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒". He is not alone in his concerns.

Submissions are open on the Draft CPP until 3 June and BPN submission guide will be published shortly.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/the-construction-projects-your-neighbours-will-no-longer-have-to-tell-you-about-20260519-p5zykv.html

17/07/2026

Development Coordination Authority (DCA) is your central point of contact for planning matters involving NSW Government agencies.

17/07/2026

MORE PLANNING REFORMS ON EXHIBITION
Including standardised conditions of consent

We have just become aware there are yet another two planning reforms on exhibition. Both are due by 30th July.

It is proposed to have State-wide standardised Conditions of Consent that apply to low and mid-rise housing as well as high-rise towers, and the proposed consent conditions are minimal.

For those of you that make numerous submissions (and that's probably most of you), you'll be aware when you read the documents just how much is missing. Tell the Dept what conditions you want included.

It's even proposed that councils will have to consult with the developers on what conditions they should write !!!

The planning reforms are -

Standard and Model Conditions of Consent - Explanation of Intended Effects:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/standard-and-model-conditions-of-consent

Improving Development Assessment - Discussion Paper:

https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/improving-development-assessment-discussion-paper

Another important pair of reforms to comment on.
Please share this information.

Image credit: Davi Rezende

17/07/2026

Consultation is still open for the draft Hogben Park Landscape Master Plan.

This is your chance to help shape the future of Hogben Park in Kogarah. We want to hear how you use the space and what matters to you.

Come and chat with us at Hogben Park this Saturday 18 July from 2.00–3.30pm. Our team will be there to answer your questions and hear your feedback.

Learn more and have your say here: https://yoursay.georgesriver.nsw.gov.au/hogben-park-landscape-master-plan

Consultation closes 31 July.

17/07/2026

17/07/2026

09/06/2026