The Malinauskas Labor Government has taken another significant step to create more housing options for granny flats and student accommodation.

From today, Councils will have greater powers to approve self-contained accommodation, with the Government removing technical definitions which has resulted in planning approvals being denied.

The Ancillary Accommodation and Student Accommodation Definitions Review Code Amendment is open for consultation, with Local Councils able to implement the proposed changes on an interim basis while consultation is underway.

Ancillary Accommodation is the term to describe what are commonly referred to as granny flats.

The code amendment is reviewing the technical definitions for ‘ancillary accommodation’ and ‘student accommodation’ to allow for more self-contained accommodation options.

Under the current code, ancillary accommodation is required to share utilities with the main house, while student accommodation requires common facilities for shared use by students such as cooking and laundry facilities.

Recent planning proposals for self-contained areas incorporating small kitchenettes have been knocked back because it wasn’t technically accepted under the current definitions.

The changes to the Code would mean granny flats will no longer have to share kitchens, bathrooms and laundries with the house, while student accommodation can include individual facilities to be self-contained.

Given the current housing crisis, as well as the need for a greater range of housing options to support both affordability and ageing in place, it is reasonable that the Code should support self-contained accommodation.

Public consultation on the Ancillary Accommodation and Student Accommodation Definitions Review Code Amendment is open until April 15.

Quotes

Attributable to Nick Champion

We don’t want to stop people being able to live in granny flats or student accommodation because of a technical definition.

This Government has an urgency to address the housing crisis, and this is a way we can enable more people to find a place to live.

Self-contained accommodation is an important housing option which allows people to live independently at an affordable rate.

Early commencement of the code amendment allows councils to get a head start on approving planning proposals for granny flats and student accommodation.