Council is proposing draft controls to address inconsistencies for constructing basements for low-rise housing across the City.

Currently, planning provisions vary significantly: in some parts of the City, basements in low-rise housing are encouraged, while in other parts, they are discouraged. This inconsistency creates confusion and uncertainty for people who file development applications, designers, planners and the broader community.

We also recognise that many residents value the flexibility to include basements in their homes. Basements can provide practical benefits such as parking and storage, as well as opportunities for additional living spaces including gyms, home offices or theatre rooms.

The intent of the proposed draft controls is to strike a balanced approach by managing potential impacts of basement development while allowing their inclusion on appropriate sites.

These draft controls aim to provide greater clarity and consistency in basement design and use to achieve sound planning and design outcomes and community aspirations.

The key changes to the Canterbury-Bankstown Development Control Plan 2023 propose to:

• clarify where basements can be built
• control the size of basements
• control the widths of driveways to minimise impacts on landscaped areas, street trees and on-street parking.

The proposed changes will be on public exhibition from Monday 17 November – Friday 19 December 2025. Details of the proposed changes, background information and the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Environmental Plan 2023 can be viewed in the Document Library below and physical copies can be accessed at the Bankstown and Campsie Customer Service Centres from Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm (public holidays excepted).