Housing & planning · Ku-ring-gai Council
Duff Street flats refused as Wahroonga alterations gain height variation
Ku-ring-gai’s planning panel gave conditional consent at 16 Illoura Avenue and adopted a revised meeting code, but the minutes do not detail the code changes.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel refused a flat-building proposal at 5 - 7 Duff Street, Turramurra, and approved alterations at 16 Illoura Avenue, Wahroonga, including a variation to the maximum building-height standard. Both decisions, and adoption of a revised Code of Meeting Practice, were unanimous and dated 21 September 2026, according to the panel’s public minutes.
The Duff Street application, eDA0131/26, sought demolition of existing structures and construction of a residential flat building with basement parking, landscaping and associated works. The panel agreed with the recommendation and refusal reasons in council’s Development Assessment Report.
The minutes do not reproduce those reasons or state how many flats were proposed. They record that ten submissions were considered and that Damien Mahoney addressed the panel against the application. They do not describe his remarks or indicate whether all written submissions opposed the proposal.
At Illoura Avenue, the panel accepted a request under Clause 4.6 to vary the maximum building-height standard in the Ku-ring-gai Local Environmental Plan 2015. It found strict compliance unreasonable or unnecessary in the circumstances and sufficient environmental planning grounds to justify the variation.
Consent for alterations and additions under application eDA0305/26 remains subject to conditions in the Development Assessment Report. The panel recorded that it considered the proposal to be in the public interest and had considered one community submission.
Neither the proposed height nor the size of the variation is specified in the minutes. The assessment report is therefore needed to understand the extent of the height departure and the conditions attached to approval.
The consent lapses if approved works do not physically commence within five years of the Notice of Determination. That period runs from the notice, whose date is not given in the minutes, rather than necessarily from the panel meeting.
The panel also adopted its revised Code of Meeting Practice. The minutes record the adoption but do not explain which procedures changed.
What deserves a closer look
The record confirms that a height variation was accepted at Illoura Avenue, but does not quantify it. The extent of that departure cannot be assessed from these minutes alone.
Questions for follow-up reporting
What planning grounds in the Development Assessment Report supported refusal of the Duff Street proposal?
What height and variation were approved at Illoura Avenue, and what conditions apply?
Which provisions changed in the adopted Code of Meeting Practice?
What happens next
Approved works at Illoura Avenue must physically commence within five years of the Notice of Determination to avoid the consent lapsing.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
The revised Code of Meeting Practice was adopted unanimously on 21 September 2026.
provide the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel with a revised Code of Meeting Practice for adoption. THE PANEL RESOLVED: A. The Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel adopted the revised Code of Meeting Practice B. Date of Decision: 21 September 2026 Voting: Unanimous KLPP35 16 Illoura Avenue, Wahroonga - Alterations and additions File: EDA0305/26 Vide: GB.2 Alterations and additions THE PANEL RESOLVED: A.
Page 2, KLPP34 / GB.1
Open original minutes ↗The panel found that the request to vary the maximum building-height standard met Clause 4.6(3) and that sufficient environmental planning grounds justified the variation.
The Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel, exercising the functions of Ku-ring-gai Council, as the consent authority, pursuant to Section 4.16 of the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979, is satisfied that the request submitted under Clause 4.6 to vary the maximum Height of Buildings development standard in Clause 4.3 of KLEP 2015 has met the requirements of Clause 4.6(3). The Panel is also of the opinion that strict compliance with the development standard is unreasonable or unnecessary in the circumstances of the case and that there are sufficient environmental planning grounds to justify the variation to the development standard.
Page 2, KLPP35 / GB.2, resolution A
Open original minutes ↗Illoura Avenue received conditional consent, with a five-year physical-commencement requirement measured from the Notice of Determination.
B. The Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel, exercising the functions of Ku-ring-gai Council, as the consent authority, pursuant to Section 4.16 of the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979, being satisfied that the proposed development would be in the public interest, granted development consent to eDA0305/26 for alterations and additions at No. 16 Illoura Avenue, Wahroonga, subject to conditions in the Development Assessment Report. Pursuant to Section 4.53 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, this consent lapses if the approved works are not physically commenced within five years of the date of the Notice of Determination.
Page 2, KLPP35 / GB.2, resolution B
Open original minutes ↗The decision was dated 21 September 2026; one community submission was considered and voting was recorded as unanimous.
Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /3 C. Date of Decision: 21 September 2026 D. Reason for the Decision: The Panel concurred with the recommendation in Council's Development Assessment Report and the conditions of consent. E. How community views were taken into consideration: The views of the community were requested by way of notification of the application in accordance with Council's Community Participation Plan and there was one submission received which was considered as part of this determination. Voting: Unanimous KLPP36 5-7 Duff Street, Turramurra - Demolition of existing structures and construction of a residential flat building with basement car parking, landscaping and associated works File: EDA0131/26 Vide: GB.3 Demolition of existing structures and construction of a residential flat building with basement car parking, landscaping and associated works THE PANEL RESOLVED: A.
Page 3, KLPP35 / GB.2, resolutions C–E and voting
Open original minutes ↗The panel refused the Duff Street application for the assessment report's reasons, with a decision date of 21 September 2026.
The Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel, exercising the functions of Ku-ring-gai Council, as the consent authority, pursuant to Section 4.16 of the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979, refused development consent to eDA0131/26 for demolition of existing structures and construction of a residential flat building with basement car parking, landscaping and associated works at No. 5 and 7 Duff Street, Turramurra, for the reasons in the Development Assessment Report. B. Date of Decision: 21 September 2026 C. Reason for the Decision: The Panel concurred with the recommendation in Council's Development Assessment Report and the reasons for refusal.
Page 3, KLPP36 / GB.3, resolutions A–C
Open original minutes ↗Ten submissions were considered as part of the determination, and voting was recorded as unanimous.
D. How community views were taken into consideration: The views of the community were requested by way of notification of the application in accordance with Council's Community Participation Plan and there were ten submissions received which were considered as part of this determination. Voting: Unanimous KLPP37 14 - 18 Richard Road, St Ives - Demolition of existing structures and construction of multi-dwelling housing (16 townhouses) and Torrens and strata title subdivision File: EDA0218/26 Vide: GB.4 Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /4 Demolition of existing structures and construction of multi-dwelling housing (16 townhouses) and Torrens and strata title subdivision THE PANEL RESOLVED: A.
Page 3, KLPP36 / GB.3, resolution D and voting
Open original minutes ↗Damien Mahoney addressed the panel against the Duff Street application.
No interests were declared by staff or Panel members. ADDRESS TO THE PANEL The following speaker addressed the Panel on the following items on the agenda: GB.3 5-7 Duff Street, Turramurra - Demolition of existing structures and construction of a residential flat building with basement car parking, landscaping and associated works Against the application: Damien Mahoney Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /2 The public meeting closed at 12:43 PM The determination meeting commenced at 12:44 PM GENERAL BUSINESS KLPP34 Revised Code of Meeting Practice for the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel File: CY00554/9 Vide: GB.1 To
Pages 1–2, Address to the Panel, GB.3
Open original minutes ↗The minutes record confirmation as a full and accurate record of the 21 September 2026 meeting by David Lloyd KC on 21 September 2026.
Voting: Unainmous The determination meeting closed at 12:45 PM Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /5 Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /6 Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /7 Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /8 Minute KU-RING-GAI COUNCIL Page 20260921-KLPP-Mins-2026/290583 /9 The Minutes of the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel Meeting held on 21 September 2026 (Pages 1 - 9) were confirmed as a full and accurate record of proceedings by the Hon. David Lloyd KC on 21 September 2026. __________________________ Chairperson
Page 9, confirmation certificate
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from Ku-ring-gai Council’s public minutes of the Ku-ring-gai Local Planning Panel meeting held on 21 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The panel refused eDA0131/26 for a residential flat building at 5 - 7 Duff Street, Turramurra.
- Alterations and additions at 16 Illoura Avenue, Wahroonga, received consent subject to assessment-report conditions.
- The Illoura Avenue approval included a variation to the maximum building-height standard.
- The panel recorded consideration of ten submissions for Duff Street and one for Illoura Avenue.
- The revised Code of Meeting Practice was adopted; all three decisions were dated 21 September 2026 and recorded as unanimous.
Why it matters
- The panel refused the Duff Street redevelopment and gave conditional consent for changes at Illoura Avenue. Applicants and nearby residents will need the assessment reports for the refusal grounds and approval conditions, while the revised code is needed to identify changes to meeting procedures.