Kings Forest Homeowners to Benefit from Faster Planning Approval Pathways
Homeowners building in the Kings Forest estate on the Tweed Coast will soon be able to take advantage of faster and more streamlined planning approvals following a key decision by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
The approval of Modification 11 (MOD 11) to the Kings Forest Concept Approval formally recognises the Kings Forest Development Code, opening the way for eligible residential developments to be approved through simpler planning pathways rather than the traditional development application process.
The change means eligible home designs that comply with the standards set out in Part A of the Kings Forest Development Code can now be assessed through a Complying Development Certificate (CDC), significantly reducing approval time for many new home builders. Applications can be lodged either with Tweed Shire Council or through an accredited private certifier.
The new arrangements also benefit homeowners planning smaller projects around their properties. Minor developments including certain fences, decks, landscaping works and outbuildings that satisfy exempt development requirements may now proceed without requiring development consent or a Complying Development Certificate, simplifying the process for low-impact improvements.
Tweed Shire Council’s Director of Planning and Regulation, Denise Galle, welcomed the decision, describing it as another important milestone in the delivery of the long-planned Kings Forest community.
She said the estate has been more than three decades in the making and will play a significant role in delivering much-needed housing to support the Tweed’s growing population.
Ms Galle said Council welcomed the streamlined approval process, which will allow eligible developments to proceed more efficiently while maintaining the planning and design standards established specifically for Kings Forest.
She said the decision follows the registration of the estate’s first residential lots and reflects ongoing collaboration between Tweed Shire Council, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, the developer and other stakeholders working to responsibly deliver the new community.
Despite the streamlined pathways, Council has reminded landowners that additional approvals may still be required for associated infrastructure works, including water, sewer and stormwater connections, as well as driveway construction and works within the road reserve.
Council is reviewing how these associated approvals can be better coordinated to provide applicants with a clearer and more efficient overall approval process.
Officials have also stressed that complying development is not automatic. Proposed developments must satisfy all relevant provisions of the Kings Forest Development Code and any applicable legislative requirements. Projects that do not meet those standards may still require a traditional development application, which would be assessed under Part B of the Development Code.
The planning changes are expected to accelerate the delivery of new housing within Kings Forest while maintaining the planning controls designed to guide the development of one of the Tweed Coast’s largest new residential communities.
