Avalon residents are being urged to examine proposed planning changes that could affect larger residential blocks and selected properties near the town centre. The draft rules would introduce local standards for dual occupancies and allow boarding houses and hostels to be considered on mapped land within 400 metres of Avalon centre.
Draft planning rules move to exhibition
The changes form part of Northern Beaches Council’s draft Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan, which are on public exhibition until Sunday, 30 August 2026.
The two documents would replace four planning systems inherited from the former Manly, Pittwater and Warringah councils. Council says the aim is to create clearer and more consistent rules across the Northern Beaches while addressing housing demand, local character and environmental constraints.
New lot-size standards for dual occupancies
Under the draft LEP, an attached dual occupancy on R2 Low Density Residential land would require a minimum lot size of 800 square metres. A detached dual occupancy would require at least 900 square metres.
Detached dual occupancies would also be limited to corner sites or properties with two street frontages under the exhibited proposal. However, state housing policies may override local standards in designated areas.
A dual occupancy places two homes on one parcel of land. The dwellings may share a wall, as in a duplex, or sit in separate buildings.
The proposed lot-size standards would not provide automatic approval. Each development would still require consent and assessment against relevant planning controls.
Those controls may cover landscaping, setbacks, parking, tree retention, privacy, bushfire risk, building scale and neighbourhood amenity. Site-specific environmental and hazard constraints may also affect what can be built.
Boarding houses proposed near selected centres
The suburb is also one of five Northern Beaches centres proposed for a Housing Diversity Area. The nominated centres are Avalon, Newport, North Narrabeen, Freshwater and Belrose.
Within those areas, boarding houses and hostels could be considered on selected low-density residential properties within 400 metres of the relevant centre. The proposal applies only to land shown on the official maps and does not extend across the whole suburb.
Council has linked the selected centres to access to shops, services, infrastructure and transport. It says the proposal would provide a wider range of accommodation and housing choices in locations considered suitable for additional development.
Boarding houses and hostels remain separate planning uses and would require development consent. Applications would need to address matters such as privacy, traffic, parking, waste collection, landscaping and the effect on nearby homes.
Wider controls reach beyond housing type
The broader planning framework would also introduce floor-space-ratio controls across low-density residential areas. These controls limit the amount of floor space that can be built in proportion to the size of a property.
Further provisions would cover stormwater, waterways, biodiversity, landscaping and geotechnical hazards. The draft DCP would provide more detailed design guidance, including parking, setbacks, overshadowing and privacy.
Council maintains that most parts of the Northern Beaches would experience limited change. However, the practical effect will vary between properties because zoning, lot size, frontage and mapped constraints differ from site to site.
Residents urged to check property maps
Residents should check Council’s interactive property map and the formal exhibition documents before making a submission. The map identifies proposed zoning, additional permitted uses and other property-based controls.
Submissions can be made through Northern Beaches Council’s Your Say consultation page until 11.59 p.m. on Sunday, 30 August 2026.
Published 29-July-2026
