planning · Burwood Council
Planning-standard variations split three Burwood projects
A 323.4-square-metre Burwood site could not support a proposed eight-storey co-living development, while variations were accepted for a flat-building modification and a Croydon Park subdivision.
A proposed eight-storey, 27-room co-living development at 64 Wentworth Road, Burwood, has been refused after the Burwood Local Planning Panel rejected variations to planning standards governing lot size and communal open space.
The site measured 323.4 square metres against the 800-square-metre minimum lot-size standard under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. The panel found the applicant had not shown that the standard was unreasonable or unnecessary to vary, or that sufficient environmental planning grounds justified the departure.
The panel also found the proposal did not satisfy the minimum communal open-space requirement for co-living housing. It said the development would provide poor amenity for future occupants and did not meet relevant landscaping and open-space objectives in the Burwood Development Control Plan 2013.
Waste servicing and vehicle access added to the concerns. The panel was not satisfied that commercial waste collection could operate over the long term without adverse effects on residents, neighbouring properties or the public domain. It also found the basement arrangement had not adequately addressed AS 2890.2, the standard for off-street commercial vehicle facilities.
The refusal cited insufficient design excellence, unacceptable impacts and a lack of public interest. Any revised application for 64 Wentworth Road would need to address the panel's concerns about lot size, communal open space, waste servicing, commercial vehicle access, design and resident amenity.
The panel accepted two other planning-standard variations. At 106-108 Wentworth Road, Burwood, it approved a Section 4.55(2) modification to an approved residential flat building, subject to conditions, after finding the amended proposal addressed the reasons for an earlier refusal.
At 58 Waratah Street, Croydon Park, it approved a two-lot Torrens Title subdivision of an existing dual occupancy, with minor ancillary works. The panel accepted the Clause 4.6 justification for varying the minimum street-frontage standard for dual occupancies in the R2 Low Density Residential zone. Both approvals are subject to conditions.
Reference minutes
Burwood Council, Burwood Local Planning Panel Meeting, 17 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The panel refused DA.2026.24 for an eight-storey, 27-room co-living development at 64 Wentworth Road, Burwood.
- The co-living site measured 323.4 square metres against an 800-square-metre minimum lot-size standard under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021.
- The panel found the co-living proposal failed to demonstrate satisfactory communal open space, waste servicing and commercial vehicle access.
- A modification to the approved residential flat building at 106-108 Wentworth Road, Burwood was approved subject to conditions.
- A two-lot Torrens Title subdivision at 58 Waratah Street, Croydon Park was approved subject to conditions.
- The Croydon Park application involved a variation to the minimum street-frontage standard for dual occupancies in the R2 Low Density Residential zone.
Why it matters
- The three outcomes show how major planning-standard variations are weighed against amenity, orderly development, servicing, neighbouring impacts and the public interest. The co-living proposal was refused, while variations for a flat-building modification and a two-lot subdivision were accepted subject to conditions.