Changes to this instrument — recently made and commencing amendments, and changes already in force.
The definitions clause now includes "residential zone", covering the five residential land use zones: R1 General Residential, R2 Low Density Residential, R3 Medium Density Residential, R4 High Density Residential, and R5 Large Lot Residential. This is a drafting addition that gives a single defined term for these zones so other provisions in the SEPP that rely on the concept can apply consistently. By itself the definition changes nothing — its effect depends on the operative provisions that use the term.
This provision sets the requirements for changing the kind of liquid stored in a bulk liquid storage tank. It has been extended geographically: previously it applied only to Port Botany, now it also applies to the Port Kembla Bulk Liquid Storage Tanks Area. The trigger for combustible liquids and Class 3, 8 or 9 dangerous goods now expressly excludes Class 3 Subsidiary Hazard 6.1 goods (per Table 3.2.3 of the Code). For tanks in the Port Kembla area, the hazard analysis must additionally show the development won't increase cumulative individual risk shown in Port Kembla LUSS Figure 4, or push societal risk beyond the ALARP band in Port Kembla LUSS Figure 8. The other requirements (HAZOP study, AS 1940:2017 and AS 3846-2005 compliance) are unchanged.
The provision that governed development within or adjacent to interim rail corridors (Zone A, Zone B and the Sydney Metro West Tunnel land) has been repealed. Previously this section triggered mandatory written notice to the relevant rail authority (Transport for NSW or Sydney Metro), required that authority's concurrence before consent could be granted, and set out a 21-day deemed-concurrence pathway and notification of the determination. With the section removed, that bespoke notification and concurrence regime for interim rail corridors no longer operates under this clause.
Section 2.102, which created special controls for major development on City of Sydney land within the Interim Metro Corridor, has been removed from the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP. It previously required consent authorities to notify the Secretary of the Department of Transport of relevant applications, consider that Secretary's submissions, refuse consent where the development would harm the viability or cost of the proposed metro, and forward the determination. With its repeal, these specific obligations no longer apply, most likely because the Interim Metro Corridor protections are no longer needed.
Section 2.103 previously required a consent authority to consider whether development near land marked as a CBD Metro Station Extent would harm the development or operation of a proposed metro station, or would encourage greater public transport use. This provision has now been repealed, most likely because the relevant metro stations have been delivered or the protective controls are no longer needed. As of 12 December 2025 there is no longer a standalone obligation under this section to assess these matters.
Section 2.107 has been completely substituted. Previously, a monitoring station was only exempt development if it sat in Zone C1 National Parks and Nature Reserves, a prescribed zone, or on land acquired under Part 11 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, plus compliance with section 2.20. The new version drops that zone-based gateway and instead allows monitoring stations as exempt development anywhere, provided they meet specific size and height limits: a footprint of no more than 30m², and a maximum height (excluding antennae) of 5m in a 1% AEP flood area or 2.5m elsewhere. It also adds a visual-impact control: in listed residential and village zones (RU5, R1–R5), where the station fronts a public road and has a footprint over 6m², its visual impact must be minimised.
A new paragraph (h) has been added to the definition of "road infrastructure facilities" so that cycleways, pedestrian pathways and shared paths are now captured by that term. Because this Division gives road infrastructure facilities particular assessment and permissibility pathways (including development that can be carried out by or on behalf of public authorities and connected works under sections 2.109, 2.110A and 2.112), expanding the definition means active-transport infrastructure now clearly falls within those provisions rather than sitting in a grey area.
Clause 2.109 lets public authorities build roads and road infrastructure without consent on any land, but with a special restriction for National Parks and Wildlife Act land. Two changes tighten that restriction. First, the restriction now applies to land 'reserved or acquired' under the NPW Act, not just 'reserved'—widening the category of protected land. Second, former paragraph (1)(a), which allowed the work where it was 'authorised by or under' the NPW Act, has been deleted, removing one of the ways such road work could proceed. The remaining exemptions (existing interests under s 39, and consistent use of granted easements) stay in place.
In the list of works that public authorities can carry out as exempt development in connection with a road, the old paragraph (v) combined two things: "slope stability works that are required for safety reasons" and "minor road safety improvements". The amendment splits these into separate items — (v) now covers slope stability works, and a new (v1) separately lists minor road safety improvements. Both activities remain exempt development on the same terms; this is purely a structural tidy-up of the drafting.
This provision sets out when a highway service centre can be built in a road corridor. The amendment broadens the list of road types it applies to by adding 'controlled access road' and 'highway' alongside the existing freeway, main road and tollway categories. The defined terms now also pull these two new categories from the Roads Act 1993. The effect is to extend the consent pathway to service centres located in a wider range of road corridors.
This provision sets out when water and sewerage infrastructure (sewage treatment plants, water recycling facilities, sewage reticulation systems, etc.) can be carried out with or without consent in prescribed zones. The amendment removes former subsection (8), which previously contained an express limitation: development for water recycling facilities or sewage reticulation systems could only occur on land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 if it was authorised by or under that Act. With (8) now repealed, that specific carve-out no longer appears in this Division.
This change strips out the local definition of "equivalent land use zone" that previously sat in the definitions clause for the telecommunications Division (Division 21) and Schedule 4. That definition simply pointed back to the general meaning given by section 2.4. Its removal is a tidy-up — the concept of an equivalent land use zone is already dealt with elsewhere in the SEPP, so the duplicated local definition was unnecessary. None of the substantive telecommunications definitions (towers, antennas, ancillary facilities, microcell installations, etc.) were touched.
This amendment trims the wording in the excavation limits that apply to boring, directional drilling and underground conduit/cable works for telecommunications facilities. Previously the 100-metre open-excavation limit and 8-hour vehicle-access rule applied on land in Zones R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 or RU5 "or an equivalent land use zone". The reference to equivalent zones has been removed, so the restriction now only bites in the specifically named zones. This reflects the move to standardised zoning across NSW, making the equivalent-zone catch-all unnecessary.
This provision sets out water supply infrastructure that can be carried out without development consent. The 2025 amendment broadens subsection (2): Water NSW's exemption for water storage facilities is no longer limited to the Sydney catchment area, and Sydney Water Corporation is added as an authority that can build water storage facilities without consent anywhere. The list of zones in subsection (2)(a) was tidied to drop the 'or an equivalent land use zone' wording. Subsection (5)—which required development for a water supply system on land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 to be authorised under that Act—has been repealed, removing that explicit restriction from this clause.
Section 2.161 has been amended to add subsection (2A), creating a new consent pathway for water storage facilities. Public authorities (or those acting on their behalf) can now carry out development for water storage facilities with development consent on any land except Zone RU1 (Primary Production), RU2 (Rural Landscape), SP1 (Special Activities) and SP2 (Infrastructure). This fills a gap by expressly permitting water storage infrastructure with consent across a broad range of zones, rather than leaving it unaddressed.
This adds section 2.180, a definitions provision introducing a new Division 30 dealing with the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. It defines "Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan" as land covered by Schedule 2, Part 3B of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Act 1980, and "Trust" as the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust under that Act. On its own this clause sets up terminology for the operative provisions of the new division rather than imposing any standalone development controls.
This newly inserted clause (2.181) defines the scope of a division dealing with development at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. It captures two categories: development for community events, private functions and temporary outdoor cinemas with a maximum capacity of 5,000 people (whether carried out by or on behalf of the Botanic Gardens Trust, or by others with the Trust's written consent), and any other development at the garden carried out by or on behalf of the Trust. It is an application/scope provision that establishes which activities are governed by the division's planning pathway.
This newly inserted section 2.182 establishes that a wide range of development—including agricultural produce and artisan food industries, camping grounds, community events, eco-tourist and tourist accommodation (under $30 million), function and entertainment facilities, restaurants, kiosks, sheds, horticulture, plant nurseries, public administration buildings and warehouses—can be carried out by the Trust without development consent. The exemption is conditional: certain conditions must be met, including stormwater/sewerage connection on "affected land", consideration of the Water NSW pipeline guideline, 21-day notice to Water NSW and (for specified uses) to council and adjoining occupiers, height/setback limits at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, and notice to pipeline operators for development adjacent to pipeline corridors. Several uses also carry cost thresholds and pipeline buffer distances.
Section 2.183 has been inserted to create a list of low-impact development that is exempt development for the purposes of this division (Division 30). It covers vehicle counters, small visitor information booths and temporary kiosks (up to 30m² and 2.5m high), landscaping, limited temporary event signage and directional/building identification signage, and community events, private functions and temporary outdoor cinemas for up to 5,000 people. Each category has specific size, location and management conditions — for example, events must follow an event operations management plan and the Trust's bushfire evacuation plan, and there are extra notification and restriction requirements where the work is on 'affected land' on the Water Supply Infrastructure Map or adjacent to a pipeline corridor. The point is to allow the Trust to manage routine activities and events without lodging a DA, provided the standards and general exempt development requirements in section 2.20 are met.
This change adds the district strategic plan (made under Division 3.1 of the Act) as a mandatory consideration for site compatibility certificates. Applicants must now include information demonstrating the proposal is not inconsistent with the relevant district plan, and the Planning Secretary cannot issue a certificate unless satisfied the development is consistent with that district plan. This ties site compatibility certificates more tightly to strategic regional planning, on top of the existing tests around surrounding land uses, infrastructure and environmental risk.
Section 2.20 sets the baseline conditions a development must meet to be exempt development (no DA or CDC required). Two changes apply from 12 December 2025. Paragraph (f) previously banned any exempt development that demolished a State or local heritage item; it now carves out an exception where the work is covered by section 57(1A), (2) or (3) of the Heritage Act 1977 (i.e. excluded works, exempted works, or works approved under that Act). A new paragraph (k) adds that, in a wilderness area within the meaning of the Wilderness Act 1987, exempt development is limited to emergency works, routine maintenance works or environmental management works.
The only change to section 2.22 is the deletion of a Note that previously sat under paragraph (2)(b). That Note explained that development which can be carried out without consent is therefore not complying development. The operative requirements for what qualifies as complying development — exempt development status, permissibility with consent, Building Code and Blue Book compliance, roads authority consent, mine subsidence approval, vegetation, sewer and asbestos rules — are all unchanged. Notes have no legal force, so removing it does not alter the law.
This amendment expands the definitions section for this Division by adding three new defined terms: "community corrections office" (a public-authority building used to manage and supervise persons on community-based orders), "social service delivery facility" (a public-authority building used to deliver child protection, community health, disability support, homelessness/domestic violence support or housing services), and "justice and social support facility" (an umbrella category covering community corrections offices, correctional centres, correctional complexes, courthouses, disability homes, group homes, social housing, social service delivery facilities, transitional centres and youth justice facilities). The existing definitions of correctional centre, correctional complex and prescribed zone are unchanged. These new terms support the SEPP's treatment of justice and social support development across the framework.
Section 2.29 previously listed exempt development that public authorities could carry out within an existing correctional centre. The amendment restructures the provision into numbered subsections and extends the exempt development regime to a new category of site: justice and social support facilities. Within those facilities, public authorities can now treat two things as exempt development — emergency works to protect the facility, environment or public, and the removal, replacement or pruning of a tree where a Level 5 qualified arborist has assessed it as a risk to safety or infrastructure (with a replacement tree required for removals). A new definition of "Level 5 qualified arborist" (minimum AQF Level 5 in Arboriculture) is also added.
This change updates the definitions in Division 4 of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP. The term previously called "small-scale battery system" is now called "solar battery system". The actual definition is identical — a battery system designed only for storing photovoltaic solar energy generated from a solar energy system. This is a terminology alignment, not a change to what the system is or how it is treated.
This provision sets out the complying development standards for renewable energy installations under the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP. Two new categories have been added: stand-alone power systems in non-residential zones (subsection 2A, with detailed Australian Standards, generator and battery requirements) and solar battery systems generally (subsection 2C, with kWh storage caps of 100kWh in residential zones and 200kWh otherwise, and heritage visibility controls). A related carve-out (2B) confirms a solar component of a stand-alone system need not meet the general solar standards, and 2D disapplies a heritage notification requirement in the Codes SEPP for solar batteries. The accreditation reference for installing photovoltaic systems has been updated from the Clean Energy Council to Solar Accreditation Australia (ABN 51 666 008 368), reflecting the body that now administers solar accreditation. A definition of stand-alone power system is added by reference to the National Electricity (NSW) Law.
The way this chapter interprets references to land in a "named" land use zone has been substantially rewritten. The old clause set out an elaborate process: equivalence to a Standard Instrument zone was established either by a determination of the Planning Secretary under the Exempt and Complying Development Codes SEPP, or, failing that, by the opinion of a "relevant authority" (the public authority or the Planning Secretary) made case-by-case for the specific development, plus special rules for land covered by draft instruments under community consultation. All of that detail (subsections 1–5, including the relevant-authority assessment and the draft-instrument provisions) has been replaced. The new clause states a simple two-limb rule: a reference to a named zone covers land that is in the equivalent Standard Instrument zone under a standard EPI, and land that is in a zone permitting equivalent land uses under a non-standard EPI.
Section 2.41 sets the criteria for when wind, solar and battery installations can proceed as exempt development (no approval needed). The 2025 amendments make three substantive tweaks: (1) for photovoltaic systems and solar battery systems, the installer must now be accredited by Solar Accreditation Australia (ABN 51 666 008 368) rather than the Clean Energy Council—reflecting the transfer of the national accreditation scheme; (2) the term "small-scale battery system" is replaced with "solar battery system" throughout subsection (5); and (3) the heritage condition for non-ground-mounted solar (4)(f)(iv)(A) changes from prohibiting attachment to any wall or roof facing a primary road to instead requiring the system not be visible from a primary road where it adjoins the property boundary—a visibility-based test rather than an outright placement ban.
Section 2.44 sets out electricity transmission/distribution network development that an electricity supply or public authority can carry out without development consent. Three things changed. First, the restriction on building on National Parks land now applies to land 'reserved or acquired' under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, not just 'reserved' — widening the protected land where the exceptions must be met. Second, the exception for work simply 'authorised by or under' that Act (former paragraph (a)) has been removed, so only the existing-interest, easement, and section 53 Electricity Supply Act pathways remain. Third, the test for a temporary electricity generating unit supporting the network has been simplified and loosened: the old dual limit (combined capacity not exceeding 5 megawatts and no more than 200 operating hours per 12 months) is replaced by a single condition that the unit not operate for more than 500 hours in any 12-month period.
Section 2.45 requires electricity supply or public authorities to notify councils and adjoining occupiers before carrying out certain substation development that can proceed without development consent. The amendment redefines which development is caught. Previously it captured development 'for the purpose of a new or existing electricity substation of any voltage (including any associated yard, control building or building for housing plant)'. It now captures a 'new electricity substation or associated building, or an increase in the area of an existing electricity substation or associated substation yard'. The effect is to focus the notification obligation on new structures and on physical expansions of existing substations and yards, rather than on all works connected with an existing substation. The 'of any voltage' phrasing has also been dropped.
This provision sets out electricity transmission and distribution works that can be carried out as exempt development without a development application. The amendments expand the exemptions: a new paragraph (a1) exempts installing new conduits, trenches or cables within an existing fenced area or building; a new paragraph (g1) exempts demolition and removal of electricity works inside an existing fenced area or building; pole/support-structure replacement is exempt up to 132kV (previously 66kV); demolition is now exempt where not associated with equipment above 200kV (previously 66kV); paragraph (d)(iv) now also covers early fault detection sensor units and load break switches; and the structural-alterations limit on pole substation replacement (f)(ii) has been removed. A reference to contamination is now tied to the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997. The net effect is that more network works can proceed without consent.
This change adds two extra land use zones — RE1 Public Recreation and RE2 Private Recreation — to the list of "prescribed zones" in the Division dealing with emergency services facilities, fire trails and bush fire hazard reduction work. Because much of this Division's operation is tied to whether land is in a prescribed zone, recreation-zoned land is now brought within its scope alongside the existing rural, business, industrial and special activity zones.
The provision setting out where emergency services facilities can be built with consent has been streamlined. Previously subsection (1) singled out the NSW Rural Fire Service alongside non-public-authority emergency organisations, and subsection (2) expressly excluded the RFS from the public-authority pathway. The RFS is now treated like any other public authority: it is removed from subsection (1) and the 'other than the NSW Rural Fire Service' carve-out is deleted from subsection (2). Subsection (3) — which had limited public-authority development on land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 to development authorised under that Act — has been removed. The net effect is a simpler, consolidated consent framework for emergency services facilities.
Section 2.52 of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP, which lists infrastructure development that may be carried out without development consent, has been broadened. The NSW Rural Fire Service is no longer excluded from the public authorities that may build emergency services facilities without consent in a prescribed zone (subsection (1)), and the RFS has been added to the bodies whose emergency services facilities may sit closer than 5m to a boundary (subsection (6)(a)). The former subsection (4), which restricted these works on land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act unless authorised under that Act, has been removed. A new subsection (8A) allows public authorities to install fire hose drying poles without consent in a prescribed zone, provided each pole is no more than 20m high and none penetrate an obstacle limitation surface for any aerodrome or airport within 2km.
A new subsection (3A) adds fire hose drying poles to the list of exempt development under the bush fire provisions. When carried out by or on behalf of a public authority, such poles can be installed without a DA provided each pole is no more than 20m high, is set back at least 3m from side and rear boundaries where adjoining land is residentially zoned, is set back at least 3m from the front boundary of adjoining land, and does not penetrate any obstacle limitation surface on a relevant plan prepared by a nearby aerodrome/airport operator within 2km. The rest of section 2.53 (fire trails, asset protection zones, hose drying racks, generators, toilets, paving) is unchanged.
Subsection (1) previously allowed forestry development to be carried out without consent on land in Zone RU3 Forestry or in any "equivalent land use zone". The amendment deletes the "or an equivalent land use zone" wording, so the without-consent pathway is now tied strictly to land mapped as Zone RU3 Forestry. The list of activities counted as forestry in subsection (2) is unchanged.
This provision lists development that can be carried out by or for a public authority without development consent within an existing health services facility. The amendment adds a new paragraph (b1) covering the restoration or replacement of any other building or structure that is part of a health services facility. Previously, the restore-or-replace exemption (b) only applied to accommodation or administration facilities. The change broadens the range of complying-without-consent works to cover any building or structure on the site, closing a gap where other facility structures were not clearly captured.
Section 2.63 lists development that is exempt (no DA needed) when carried out within the boundaries of an existing health services facility and complying with section 2.20. The amendment expands the list in subsection (1) with four new categories: (i) play equipment with adequate safety provisions including soft landing surfaces, sited more than 1.2m from any fence; (j) routine maintenance, including earthworks for playing field regrading or landscaping; (k) walking paths and associated minor structures such as boardwalks, ramps, pedestrian bridges, stairways, gates, seats, barbecues, shelters and shade structures; and (l) short-term portable multiple-purpose buildings, capped at one storey, set back from boundaries (5m from residential zones, 1m from other zones) and removed within 48 months. The signage, temporary housing and definition provisions are unchanged.
Section 2.64 lists the development that qualifies as complying development inside the boundaries of an existing health services facility. The amendment expands that list by adding four new purposes: an environmental facility, an information and education facility, a recreation facility (indoor), and a recreation facility (outdoor). These uses can now be approved via a complying development certificate rather than requiring a full development application, provided the existing requirements in section 2.64 and section 2.22 are met (including the 12m height, 5m setback, demolition footprint and heritage limits).
Provision 2.69 sets out which State Significant Development Sites fall within Division 11 of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP. The amendment inserts a new paragraph (a1) adding 'Bradfield City Centre' to the existing list (Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Sydney Olympic Park, The Rocks, Blackwattle Bay and Central Precinct). This brings the Bradfield City Centre site within the scope of the Division's planning controls, reflecting its growing status as a major development area in Western Sydney.
Section 2.7 sets the pecking order when this SEPP's infrastructure provisions clash with another planning instrument. The amendment adds paragraph (d1), so that Chapter 4 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts—Regional) 2021 now overrides Chapter 2 of the Transport & Infrastructure SEPP where they conflict. There is a carve-out: where the development is carried out by or on behalf of an electricity supply authority, public authority or carrier, the Transport & Infrastructure SEPP continues to prevail. A new subsection (6) defines 'carrier' by reference to the Commonwealth Telecommunications Act 1997.
This provision lists defined terms used in Division 12 (Crown land development). The amendment deletes the definition of "public reserve" (previously tied to the Local Government Act 1993 meaning but excluding Crown reserves dedicated for a public cemetery). The remaining defined terms — Crown land manager, Crown managed land, Ministerial Corporation and Secretary — are unchanged. Removing the term suggests it is no longer used elsewhere in the Division or that reliance on a local definition is no longer required.
Subclause (2) of clause 2.73 previously allowed development without consent on Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust lands and Parramatta Park Trust lands (by or on behalf of those trusts). Those entities have been folded into the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust, so the provision now simply covers "land in the parklands estate within the meaning of the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Act 2022" — expressly excluding land identified as the Western Sydney Parklands. This is a catch-up amendment reflecting the 2022 consolidation of NSW's metropolitan park trusts; the substance of what can be done without consent on these parklands is essentially preserved but the legal reference and the geographic scope are now defined by the new trust framework.
Division 12's exempt development list has been expanded and tightened. Emergency works and landscaping (including landscape structures, artwork and irrigation systems) are now standalone exempt categories, and the previous 'including landscaping' wording was removed from routine maintenance of playing fields and roads. The prescribed-circumstances test for the Centennial Park/Moore Park and Parramatta Trusts was narrowed to land under section 2.73(2)(a) only. Most significantly, temporary structures (sub-section (1)(a)(x)) are now subject to a detailed set of conditions in new sub-sections (4) and (5): they must be removed within 12 months, the land restored, the structure limited to one storey, set back at least 5m from residential boundaries (1m otherwise), placed on firm level ground, not redirect water or sediment, and able to resist wind and structural loads to the listed AS/NZS standards. Boundary separation standards only apply where the adjoining land has a different owner, with a carve-out where the relevant council or public authority consents.
Section 2.75 still lets pipeline and gas pipeline development proceed without consent on most land. What changed is the carve-out for national parks land. Previously the extra conditions applied to Zone C1 National Parks and Nature Reserves 'or an equivalent land use zone' — that 'equivalent zone' wording is gone, so the qualification is now limited strictly to Zone C1. The amendment also deletes former paragraph (3)(a), which had allowed the works where they were 'authorised by or under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974'. On Zone C1 land, pipeline development without consent now only stands where it is an existing interest under section 39 of that Act, or is on land subject to a non-conflicting easement. Cross-references to the NPW Act were also reformatted.
The only change to section 2.78 is the addition of a defined term: "Port Authority of New South Wales" now means the Newcastle Port Corporation established under the Ports and Maritime Administration Act 1995. All the other definitions (navigation and emergency response facilities, port facilities, prescribed zone, public ferry wharf, wharf or boating facilities) and the operative subclauses (2)–(4) about what development is captured in sections 2.80 and 2.80A are unchanged. This is a definitional housekeeping addition that supports references to that body elsewhere in the Division.
This provision lets public authorities carry out port, wharf, boating and ferry-related development without consent. Two things changed. First, every reference to the "Newcastle Port Corporation" was updated to the "Port Authority of New South Wales" — a naming change reflecting the responsible entity. Second, and more substantively, the qualifier that previously restricted such works on land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (allowing them only if authorised by or under that Act) has been deleted from subsections (4) and (6). The without-consent pathway for wharf/boating facilities and associated public ferry transport facilities is no longer expressly conditioned on NPW Act authorisation within this provision.
Subsection (2) was updated to replace the reference to "Newcastle Port Corporation" with "Port Authority of New South Wales," reflecting the entity that now manages that port area. The substance of what is permitted — subdivision of land in the relevant port area with consent — is unchanged; only the name of the responsible port body has been corrected.
This clause lists development that is exempt (no DA needed) on port land managed by the relevant port authority or vested in Transport for NSW. The amendment updates the managing entity from "Newcastle Port Corporation" to "Port Authority of New South Wales" (in the opening text and in the flagpole advertising restriction in (h)). It also slightly broadens two exempt categories: landscaping in (k) now expressly includes irrigation systems, and (u) now covers traffic and parking monitoring cameras and facilities (previously just traffic). These are small expansions plus a naming correction reflecting the current port authority.
This provision lists what counts as complying development on port land managed by the port authority or vested in Transport for NSW. Three changes were made. First, the operator name was updated from 'Newcastle Port Corporation' to 'Port Authority of New South Wales'. Second, new or replacement paving (up to 5,000m²) now has an extra requirement: it must be designed so surface water run-off is directed to a stormwater management system. Third, the demolition provision no longer spells out that demolition must be carried out in accordance with AS 2601—2001; the standalone reference to that standard has been removed from the text.
The only change to section 2.84 is updating the name of the body to be notified after friable asbestos is removed from a complying development site within a managed port area. The reference to the "Newcastle Port Corporation" has been replaced with the "Port Authority of New South Wales", reflecting the current entity. All conditions — survey certificate requirements, dust controls, and asbestos certification — remain identical in substance.
Clause 2.90 lists development around public administration buildings that qualifies as exempt development (subject to compliance with section 2.20). The change adds "and irrigation systems" to paragraph (a), so installing irrigation as part of landscaping in the grounds of a public administration building is now clearly captured as exempt development. It is a small clarifying expansion of the existing landscaping category.
Two things changed in this interpretation section. First, subsection (2) was expanded so that any reference to "rail infrastructure facilities" now also captures facilities, buildings, works or infrastructure related to metro purposes (previously only light rail purposes were added). Second, the now-defunct interim corridor definitions—Interim Metro Corridor, interim rail corridor, Interim Rail Link Corridor and Interim Sydney Metro West Corridor—were removed from the dictionary. The effect is to fold metro projects squarely into the existing rail provisions and to clean out spent transitional corridor concepts.
Two substantive changes were made to the rail infrastructure provision. First, a new subsection (4) makes clear that 'rail infrastructure facilities' includes all rail assets — transport infrastructure, vehicles and rolling stock — that are used to move people and freight by rail and are owned, managed or operated by Transport Heritage NSW Limited on behalf of the Transport Asset Manager of NSW. This brings heritage rail assets squarely within the development-without-consent pathway. Second, the National Parks and Wildlife Act carve-out in subsection (1) was widened from land 'reserved' to land 'reserved or acquired' under that Act, and the previous limb (a) (development 'authorised by or under' the NPW Act) was removed, so the permitted bases for such development on national parks land are now confined to an existing interest under section 39 or compliance with an easement.
Section 2.95 lists rail-related works that a public authority can carry out as exempt development (no approval needed) provided the general exempt-development conditions are met. A new paragraph (1)(k) expands the list to include installation and maintenance of station amenities and equipment: seats, commuter pay stations and gates, audio/visual announcement and hearing-assistance facilities, security cameras, waste bins, water fountains, tactile indicators, help points and emergency contact equipment, communications equipment and audio induction loops; landscaping (including structures and features but not retaining walls); bird-proofing such as spikes and netting; and minor platform pavement works like patching, sealing and re-sealing. The rest of the section is unchanged.
This provision lets public authorities carry out certain Schedule 5 development (like minor school works) as exempt development—no DA needed—in connection with educational facilities. The amendment widens the scope so that work connected with an "approved school" (a term now defined by reference to Part 3.4) also qualifies, alongside existing educational establishments. A new subsection (3) imports the Part 3.4 definition of "approved school" so the term has a clear, consistent meaning.
The only change to this provision is the deletion of an explanatory note that previously sat under subsection (2)(c). That note simply restated the legal position that development which can be carried out without development consent is not complying development. The actual requirements for complying development under this Chapter — the BCA, vegetation, sewer, rail corridor, contaminated land, hazard and catchment tests — are all unchanged. Removing the note does not change the law, since notes have no operative effect.
The only change is a restructuring of the "local heritage item" definition in clause 3.3(2). Previously paragraph (b) read "an Aboriginal object or a place declared under section 84 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 to be an Aboriginal place". This single paragraph has been split into a new (b) "an Aboriginal object" and (b1) covering the declared Aboriginal place. The content captured by the definition is identical; only the drafting layout changed.
This provision lets public authorities build certain things at existing or approved government schools without lodging a DA. The amendment broadens the permitted-without-consent list: a new category for outdoor learning or play areas with associated awnings/canopies replaces the old synthetic-turf sporting field item (which is now relocated to a new paragraph (a1) covering construction of synthetic-turf sporting fields and courts), a new item allows storage or maintenance facilities, and the minor alterations category now expressly covers works to enable plant or equipment to be installed. The effect is that more school infrastructure can proceed without consent.
This provision lists building and use activities that schools can carry out as exempt development (no DA, no consent) provided the stated conditions are met. The 2025 amendment expands the list. New standalone exemptions are added for the maintenance or replacement of synthetic-turf sporting fields and courts (new paragraph (g1), which carves out an exception to the general exclusion of synthetic turf in (g)), cycleways (o), covered outdoor learning areas (p), and decks (q). Paragraph (c) now expressly covers landscape structures and features such as artworks, and paragraph (j) now includes a storage shed alongside amenities buildings and workshops. The conditions attaching to existing categories (height, setbacks, etc.) are unchanged.
Section 3.40 lists the works at existing or approved schools that qualify as complying development (and so can be approved via a complying development certificate instead of a full DA). The amendment adds two categories to subsection (1)(a): a storage or maintenance facility (new subparagraph (viic)) and an amenities building (new subparagraph (viid)). This expands the range of school building works that can use the faster CDC pathway rather than requiring a development application.
Section 3.42 lists conditions that automatically attach to a complying development certificate for development complying under this Part, on top of the standard section 3.18 conditions. The amendment deletes former paragraph (d), which required the person with the benefit of the CDC to give at least 2 days' written notice of their intention to commence works to the owner or occupier of any dwelling within 20 metres of the work site. The remaining conditions (demolition to AS 2601, vegetation works to AS 4970, and compliance with the Blue Book) are unchanged.
This adds clause 3.43A, creating a new category of exempt development for the temporary relocation of government schools in response to an emergency (fire, flood, storm, earthquake, epidemic, terrorist act and similar events). A public authority can use an existing building or a temporary structure (no more than two storeys, securely anchored) without development consent, provided strict limits are met: the use lasts no more than 24 months, capacity is capped at 300 students, there is road infrastructure for a drop-off/pick-up zone, and adequate sanitary facilities. The site must be in a prescribed zone and cannot be bushfire prone, flood-prone, significantly contaminated, coastal hazard land, or within 200m of restricted premises, sex services premises, a pub or registered club. The authority must also notify Transport for NSW and the council and consider responses within 7 days. It gives schools a fast, consent-free option to keep operating after a disaster.
This clause lets public authorities build certain things within an existing university without a DA. The amendment expands that list. The old narrow "cafeteria or canteen" item is replaced with broader "food and drink premises" (excluding pubs and small bars). New permitted-without-consent works are added: a permanent or temporary government school or TAFE establishment (up to 2 storeys), synthetic-turf sporting fields and courts, external facade alterations that do not increase the building envelope (e.g. porticos, balcony enclosures, covered walkways), and changes to the internal campus road network that don't affect external access points. The traffic test in subsection (2)(a) is also relaxed—works are only excluded if they require altering transport or traffic arrangements outside the university boundary, rather than any traffic arrangements at all. A new subsection (2A) requires any temporary school or TAFE built under this clause to be removed within 3 years of completion.
Section 3.49 widens what counts as exempt development on existing university land. Landscaping now expressly includes landscape structures or features such as artworks. Four new exempt categories have been added: maintenance or replacement of sporting fields and synthetic-turf courts, bicycle parking, covered outdoor learning areas, and decks. The trigger for removing a portable or temporary teaching/office/storage/maintenance facility or kiosk has changed from 'within 7 days after the use ends' to 'within 48 months after being installed', giving universities a much longer fixed timeframe for these temporary structures.
Section 3.50 sets out when development on existing university land qualifies as complying development. Two substantive amendments were made. First, the requirement in subsection (2)(a) that change-of-use works be on land in a 'prescribed zone' has been deleted, so the change-of-use complying development pathway is no longer limited by zone within the university boundaries. Second, former subsection (7)—which switched off section 3.18(2)(e) (the general requirement to obtain permits or approvals required under an environmental planning instrument)—has been removed. As a result, that general requirement now applies again to university complying development.
Subsection (6) has been broadened. Previously it only allowed centre-based child care facilities to be approved within an existing TAFE establishment. It now permits development for two purposes with consent on land within a TAFE establishment's boundaries: centre-based child care facilities and high technology industries. This expands the range of co-located uses that can be approved on TAFE land, reflecting the push to integrate industry and training facilities.
This provision lists development that a public authority can carry out within an existing TAFE establishment without lodging a DA. The amendment expands that list. Car parks can now be up to 2 storeys (previously 1). A new category allows permanent or temporary government schools up to 2 storeys on TAFE land. New provisions permit sporting fields and synthetic-turf sports courts, external facade alterations that don't increase the building envelope (e.g. porticos, balcony enclosures, covered walkways), and changes to the internal campus road network provided external access points aren't adversely affected. The traffic-arrangement restriction in subsection (2)(a) was narrowed so it only bites where works require altering transport/traffic arrangements outside the TAFE boundaries. A new subsection (3A) requires any temporary government school built under this clause to be removed within 3 years of construction being completed, and 'government school' now takes its meaning from section 3.34.
This amendment broadens the types of development that count as exempt development (no DA required) within the boundaries of an existing TAFE establishment. New categories added include maintenance or replacement of sporting fields and synthetic-turf courts, bicycle parking, covered outdoor learning areas, and decks. Landscaping now expressly captures landscape structures or features such as artworks. The amendment also tightens the rule for portable or temporary teaching facilities, offices, storage and similar structures: they must now be removed within 48 months of installation to remain exempt.
A new section 4.11 has been added to the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP to protect land set aside for future underground transport projects. Where development sits over a future underground infrastructure corridor, costs more than $200,000, and either reaches at least 10m in height or digs at least 2m below existing ground level, the consent authority cannot approve it unless Transport for NSW gives concurrence and the development is consistent with the underground corridor technical guidelines. TfNSW must weigh the impact on the future feasibility, cost, safety and operation of public transport projects on the land. If TfNSW does not grant or refuse concurrence within 21 days of being notified, consent may be granted without it, and the consent authority must send TfNSW the determination within 7 days.
This newly inserted provision is a transitional savings rule. It says that any development application that was lodged but not finally determined before the State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) Amendment 2025 (specifically Schedules 1[128] and 4) commenced must be assessed as if that amendment had never started. It exists to protect applicants from having the goalposts moved mid-assessment by the changes made in those schedules.
The definitions clause for Chapter 4 has been expanded with several new terms: "future underground infrastructure corridor" and its map, "infrastructure investigation area" and its map, an "Interim Uses Map", and "underground corridor technical guidelines" (the Sydney Metro Underground Corridor Protection Technical Guidelines published by Transport for NSW on 1 August 2025). These additions create the defined terminology needed for new controls protecting underground infrastructure corridors (such as Sydney Metro) and land set aside for infrastructure investigation. The change is definitional groundwork that other operative provisions in the Chapter rely on.
Clause 4.4 sets the priority rules when Chapter 4 of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP clashes with other planning instruments. The old subsection (2) carved out public authority development permitted under the now-repealed Infrastructure SEPP 2007. That carve-out has been replaced with a new rule addressing overlap with the Exempt and Complying Development Codes SEPP 2008: where both this Chapter and the Codes SEPP classify the same development as exempt or complying, the Codes SEPP is switched off and this Chapter's provisions prevail. This removes duplication and makes clear which pathway applies for development covered by both instruments.
This new section 4.7A creates a pathway to use land reserved as a future infrastructure corridor for temporary purposes that wouldn't otherwise be permitted there. Normally section 4.6 limits what can happen on corridor land while it awaits infrastructure delivery. Section 4.7A relaxes that, allowing interim development with consent where a use permissible in a neighbouring zone would make more logical use of the land in the meantime. It applies only to land marked 'Interim Use' on the Interim Uses Map, and the interim use must not undermine the eventual infrastructure purpose. It does not apply to biodiversity stewardship sites.
This new provision creates an exempt development pathway for land that has been brought into a 'future infrastructure corridor'. Normally such land may lose its previous development potential, but clause 4.7B allows development to still qualify as exempt development if it would have qualified under the Western Parkland City Precincts SEPP (Chapter 4, Part 4.6, Division 2) or under the listed exempt development provisions of the Codes SEPP, provided the capital investment value is no more than $200,000. To work out eligibility, the land is treated as still being in the zone it was in immediately before it became part of the corridor. It does not apply to biodiversity stewardship sites. The effect is to preserve limited, low-value exempt development rights for landowners affected by corridor designations.
New section 4.7C creates a pathway for complying development on land sitting within a designated future infrastructure corridor. Such land would normally face restrictions, but this clause allows development to be certified as complying development if it would otherwise qualify as complying development (either under the Western Parkland City Precincts SEPP Chapter 4, Part 4.6, Division 3, or under specified provisions of the Codes SEPP) and has a capital investment value of $200,000 or less. The land is assessed using the zone it was in immediately before becoming part of the corridor. Land that is a biodiversity stewardship site under a biodiversity stewardship agreement is excluded.
Section 5.16 sets out what port-related development public authorities (including the Port Operator) can do with or without consent in specified industrial, special-activities and public-recreation zones and within the Lease Area. The 2025 amendment repeals former subsection (2), which had said that wharf or boating facilities could only be carried out on land reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 if authorised by or under that Act. That carve-out no longer appears in this SEPP; the rest of the section (consent and no-consent pathways and the Intertrade Industrial Park exclusion) is unchanged.
Clause 5.19B prohibits granting consent for food and drink premises in Zone SP1 Special Activities above a set gross floor area. That threshold has been increased from 300m² to 800m², allowing consent for substantially larger food and drink premises in this zone. The change gives more flexibility for larger café, restaurant or similar uses on special activities land.
The definitions clause for the Three Ports chapter now includes three extra terms: "Port Kembla Bulk Liquid Storage Tank Area" (the area edged green on a new map), "Port Kembla Bulk Liquid Storage Tanks Map", and "Port Kembla LUSS" (the Port Kembla Land Use Safety Study Overview Report dated 9 October 2023). These mirror the existing Mayfield/Newcastle bulk liquid storage and land use safety study concepts and provide the defined terms needed to operate related controls for Port Kembla. The rest of the definitions are unchanged.
Section 5.24 previously made development listed in Schedule 10 exempt only on land within the Lease Area. New subsections (2A) and (2B) extend exempt development status to a defined list of minor works — including driveways, fences, signage, landscaping, retaining walls, scaffolding, utilities, water tanks and minor road/rail maintenance — when carried out on Zone IN3 Heavy Industrial land at Port Kembla that lies outside the Lease Area. The works must still comply with the relevant Schedule 10 development standards and the other requirements of this Part. The remaining general criteria in subsections (3)–(6) (BCA compliance, heritage, contamination, fire safety, etc.) continue to apply.
Section 5.25 has been expanded by inserting subsections (2A) and (2B). Previously complying development under this section was confined to development specified in Part 1 of Schedule 11 within the Port Kembla Lease Area. The amendment now treats seven additional types of development — awnings or canopies, non-road bridges, conveyor systems, cranes, emergency services equipment, stacker-reclaimers/stackers/reclaimers, and retaining walls — as complying development. This expanded pathway is tightly confined: it only applies to land zoned IN3 Heavy Industrial that is within Port Kembla but outside the Lease Area, and the development must still comply with this Part's requirements and meet the relevant Schedule 11 Part 1 development standards. It gives industrial operators in this specific area a faster certificate-based approval route for these structures.
The operative heritage controls in section 5.31 (subsections 1–9) are unchanged — consent is still required for demolishing, moving, interior structural alteration of, or building on land containing a heritage item, with the same exemptions, assessment powers and conservation incentives. What changed is the schedule of listed heritage items. The single flat list has been replaced with three tables grouped by precinct (Port Botany, Port Kembla, Port of Newcastle), and each item now carries a significance grading (State or Local), a Heritage Map item reference, and in many cases corrected or re-surveyed addresses and lot/DP descriptions. Some item names were updated (e.g. former Stewart and Lloyd's buildings), archaeological sites are flagged with *A, and National/Commonwealth-listed items are flagged with *. This keeps the heritage register accurate against current land titles and clarifies the level at which each item is significant.
Schedule 6 clause 6 sets a noise design standard for buildings used as schools or school-based child care: they must not emit noise exceeding an LAeq of 5 dB(A) above background noise. The change narrows where that noise is measured. Previously it was measured at "any property boundary" (which could include the school's own boundaries); now it is measured at "the boundary of the neighbouring property to the school or school-based child care." This clarifies that the standard is about impact on adjoining neighbours rather than measurement at every boundary of the site.
This provision governs how the Planning Secretary determines traffic certificate applications in the Moorebank Freight Intermodal Precinct. The amendment puts firm numbers and process around what was previously a general 'consider the number of heavy vehicles' test. It sets a maximum daily capacity of 10,798 heavy vehicles for the Precinct and new interim thresholds at 25%, 50% and 75% of that capacity. A certificate must be refused if the maximum daily capacity has been reached, and cannot be issued once an interim threshold is reached unless an independent traffic audit has been undertaken for that threshold. The Secretary must now also consider the road network's performance where an audit is required, and the new Implementation Plan published by the Department in November 2025. New definitions tie 'heavy vehicle' to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (NSW), and define the implementation plan and traffic audit.
This clause sets noise controls for a new (or converted) building used as an indoor recreation facility or community facility within the Schedule 7 context (development at universities and TAFE establishments). The substantive standard is unchanged: the building must sit at least 20m from a residential boundary and must not emit noise more than 5 dB(A) above background (LAeq). What changed is where that noise limit is measured — previously 'at any property boundary', now 'at the boundary of the neighbouring property to the university or TAFE establishment'. This ties the compliance point specifically to the adjoining/neighbouring property rather than every property boundary of the site.
This amendment modernises the parks provisions of the Transport and Infrastructure SEPP. The division heading changes from "Parks and other public reserves" to "Parks and other public land" and the redundant "public reserve" definition is removed. In section 2.73, the old references to the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust and Parramatta Park Trust are replaced with land in the "parklands estate" under the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Act 2022 (excluding Western Sydney Parklands), reflecting the consolidated parklands governance structure. The exempt development list in section 2.74 is broadened to add emergency works and landscaping as standalone exempt categories. Most significantly, new subsections (4) and (5) impose detailed conditions on temporary structures — a 12-month removal limit, site restoration, height and boundary setback limits, drainage controls, foundation and wind/structural load standards (AS/NZS 1170 series), and rules on how setback standards apply to adjoining publicly owned land.
This update to Division 15 (Railways) makes several substantive changes. The redundant 'interim rail corridor' definitions (Interim Metro Corridor, Interim Rail Link Corridor, Interim Sydney Metro West Corridor) were deleted from section 2.91. The reference to rail infrastructure facilities in section 2.91(2) now expressly includes 'metro' purposes, not just light rail. Section 2.92 was amended so the National Parks restriction applies to land 'reserved or acquired' under the NPW Act, and a new subsection (4) extends the meaning of rail infrastructure facilities to all rail assets—including transport vehicles and rolling stock—owned or operated by Transport Heritage NSW on behalf of the Transport Asset Manager. Most practically, section 2.95 gains a new paragraph (k) adding common station fit-out items (seats, commuter pay stations and gates, audio/visual announcement and hearing facilities, security cameras, waste bins, water fountains, tactile indicators, help points, communications equipment, landscaping, bird proofing, and minor platform pavement works such as patching and re-sealing) to the list of works public authorities can carry out as exempt development.
The definition of "road infrastructure facilities" in section 2.108 now expressly includes cycleways, pedestrian pathways and shared paths, so active-transport works fall within the road provisions of this Division. Section 2.109(1) has been adjusted: the carve-out for land under the National Parks and Wildlife Act now covers land that is "reserved or acquired" (not just "reserved"), and the limb allowing such development where it is "authorised by or under" that Act has been removed. In section 2.113, the exempt-development item for "slope stability works ... and minor road safety improvements" has been split into two separate items so each stands on its own. These are the substantive amendments made by 2025 (692).
This Division has been renamed from "Correctional centres and correctional complexes" to "Justice and social support facilities" and given a wider scope. New definitions are added — "justice and social support facility" (which captures community corrections offices, correctional centres and complexes, courthouses, disability homes, group homes, social housing, social service delivery facilities, transitional centres and youth justice facilities), plus "community corrections office" and "social service delivery facility". A new exempt development category (s 2.29(2)) lets a public authority carry out, without consent, emergency works to protect the facility, environment or public, and the removal, replacement or pruning of a tree assessed by a Level 5 qualified arborist as a risk to health, safety or infrastructure (with a replacement-tree requirement). The existing consent, no-consent and complying development rules for correctional centres and complexes are unchanged.
This adds a dedicated infrastructure regime for the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. It defines the site and the Trust, then sets out two streams of development. Section 2.182 makes a long list of uses — agricultural produce industries, artisan food and drink, camping grounds, community facilities, eco-tourist and tourist accommodation, function centres, entertainment facilities, restaurants/cafes, warehouses and more — permissible without development consent when carried out by or on behalf of the Trust, provided cost thresholds (generally under $30 million), height (max 15m) and boundary setbacks (min 5m) are met and various notification/consultation steps (Water NSW, council, adjoining occupiers, pipeline operators) are followed. Section 2.183 treats smaller items — vehicle counters, visitor booths, landscaping, event signage, and community events/functions/outdoor cinemas up to 5,000 people — as exempt development if the stated conditions are satisfied. Special restrictions apply on 'affected land' near water supply infrastructure and near pipeline corridors.
This change removes the recurring phrase "or an equivalent land use zone" wherever it appeared in the telecommunications exempt development table (items 1, 7, 8, 10 and 19A). The substantive development standards — dish diameters, antenna lengths, tower heights, shelter sizes, replacement distances, and so on — are unchanged. The edit reflects the move to consistent Standard Instrument zone naming across NSW LEPs, so the now-redundant "equivalent zone" wording has been stripped out. It is in force from 12 December 2025.
This amendment removes the "or an equivalent land use zone" catch-all from Column 1 of every item in the complying development table (and from the lead-ins to standards 5.1 and 5.2). Previously these telecommunications complying development pathways (satellite/radio dishes, panel/yagi/omnidirectional antennas, tower extensions and new towers) applied to the named Standard Instrument zones "or an equivalent land use zone" — capturing similarly purposed zones under non-standard or older LEPs. The later text confines eligibility to the specifically named zones only. Note the phrase still survives where it describes the residential/RU5 zone boundaries used to measure setback and height limits for new towers in standards 5.1 and 5.2.
Section 6.11 has been tightened for the Moorebank Freight Intermodal Precinct. A new subsection (3A) bars the Planning Secretary from issuing a traffic certificate once the maximum daily capacity of heavy vehicles is reached, and requires an independent traffic audit at each interim threshold (25%, 50%, 75% of capacity) before further certificates can issue. The decision criteria in subsection (4) are rewritten to focus on whether the 10,798 heavy-vehicle daily cap has been reached, whether interim thresholds are hit, the audited road network performance, and the new Implementation Plan. A definitions subsection (7) ties 'heavy vehicle', 'traffic audit' and 'implementation plan' to the November 2025 Department-published plan and the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
Schedule 1 lists works that can be done as exempt development (no DA needed) on infrastructure-related land. The demolition entry has changed in three ways: the qualifier limiting it to structures "the erection of which is exempt development under Chapter 2" has been removed, so a wider range of buildings and structures can now be demolished as exempt; the blanket exclusion of anything "within a heritage conservation area" is gone and replaced with a narrower rule—demolition of a heritage item is still excluded unless the work falls under Heritage Act 1977 section 57(1A), (2) or (3); and the referenced demolition standard is updated from AS 2601—2001 to AS 2601:2025. The investigations item now refers to "infrastructure system development" rather than just "system development." These changes are in force from 12 December 2025.
This amendment widens the complying development pathway for bulk liquid storage infrastructure in Schedule 11. The key change is that the Port Kembla Bulk Liquid Storage Tank Area is added alongside Port Botany and the Mayfield Bulk Liquid Storage Tanks Area as locations where tank construction, installation and changes of stored liquid can be done as complying development. Port Kembla gets its own land use safety study (LUSS) risk benchmarks for the required hazard analysis (cumulative individual risk in Figure 4 and the ALARP societal risk band in Figure 8). The dangerous goods definitions for changes of stored liquid are also tightened to exclude Class 3 Subsidiary Hazard 6.1 substances, and clause 13 pipeline modification triggers are narrowed (loading only in paragraphs (a) and (c)).
The development standards for telecommunications facilities in Schedule 4 previously extended to land in named zones 'or an equivalent land use zone' — a catch-all that captured similarly-purposed zones under non-standard or differently-named LEP zonings. The later version removes that 'equivalent land use zone' phrase wherever it appeared (in the dish, tower extension, tower replacement, above-ground housing, decommissioning and complying development items). The standards now apply strictly to the specific zone codes listed. This tightens the geographic scope so the zone-based concessions and limits hang on the literal zone label rather than an equivalent-purpose test.
Three substantive changes were made to the Schedule 5 exempt development table. First, 'Sheds' has been deleted entirely, so prefabricated free-standing sheds (up to 30m², 2.5m high) are no longer exempt development under this SEPP. Second, the 'Demolition' category now adds two new conditions: demolition must occur only between 7am and 5pm Monday to Saturday and not on public holidays, and Transport for NSW's Traffic Management Centre must be notified of the truck route for waste removal. Third, the 'Building internal alterations' category has been expanded to expressly allow inclusion of teaching workstations and reconfiguration of partitions as exempt non-structural work.
The only substantive change to Schedule 6 is in clause 6 (Noise). Previously, a new or converted school/school-based child care building had to be designed so its noise did not exceed LAeq 5 dB(A) above background when measured at any property boundary. The provision now requires measurement at the boundary of the neighbouring property to the school or school-based child care. This narrows and clarifies the relevant measurement point to the shared boundary with neighbours, rather than every boundary of the site (including, for example, boundaries fronting roads or non-sensitive uses). All other clauses in Schedule 6 (height, setbacks, design, overshadowing, privacy, landscape, waste, earthworks, drainage and flood controls) are unchanged.
Clause 7 of Schedule 7 sets a noise limit for indoor recreation facilities and community facilities built as complying development at universities and TAFEs (no more than LAeq of 5 dB(A) above background noise). Previously this limit was tested "at any property boundary". From 12 December 2025 the measurement point is the boundary of the neighbouring property to the university or TAFE establishment. This clarifies that compliance is assessed at the receiver/neighbour interface, not at internal boundaries within the campus, which is the practical concern for noise impacts.
This change removes three provisions from the rail corridor assessment regime. Section 2.101 required notice to, and concurrence from, the relevant rail authority for development in mapped interim rail corridor zones (e.g. the Interim Metro, Interim Rail Link and Interim Sydney Metro West Corridors). Section 2.102 required notification of, and prohibited consent that would harm the viability of, major development within the Interim Metro Corridor in the City of Sydney. Section 2.103 required consideration of impacts on proposed metro stations for nearby land. All three have been repealed, and the Subdivision heading is amended to drop the words 'and interim rail corridors'. The remaining sections (2.97–2.100) dealing with established rail corridors are unchanged.
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