Why has the NSW Government changed its position on the savings provisions for State Significant Development (SSD) applications in the TOD?

Previously the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) advised Ku-ring-gai Council that SSD applications and local development applications would be saved when Council formally submitted its Ku-ring-gai Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Preferred Alternative LEP at the Extraordinary Meeting on 22 May 2024.

Additionally, the DPHI originally said that SSD applications would only be saved once they had responded to Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) with an environmental impact statement (EIS) and the application considered ‘lodged’.

However, less than a week before Council’s Extraordinary meeting (17 May 2025), the DPIH has advised Ku-ring-gai Council that the SSD applications and local development applications would now be saved up until 13 June 2025 and that SSD applications need only be issues with SEARs.

These significant changes give applicants another 3 weeks to submit applications. They also make it easier to for them to respond to the SEARs requirements as they are no longer required to provide an environmental impact statement (EIS).

Councillors at the Extraordinary Meeting of 22 May 2025, resolved to defer consideration of the draft amendments to KLEP 2015 to an Extraordinary Meeting of Council on 5 June 2025 7pm.

Extraordinary Council Meeting re regarding the Ku-ring-gai Transport Oriented Development (TOD) Preferred Alternative will now be held on Thursday 5 June 2025 7pm to consider community views expressed at the 21 May Extraordinary Public Forum (22 May 2025).

See Council report on Ku-ring-gai TOD Preferred Alternative HERE