funding · Randwick City Council
Coogee’s 13-apartment proposal refused over bin access and planning flaws
The Randwick Local Planning Panel rejected DA/643/2026 at 209-215 Coogee Bay Road, citing unanswered questions about moving bins between the basement and street.
A 13-apartment shop-top housing proposal at 209-215 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee, has been refused unanimously after the Randwick Local Planning Panel found the waste-management system had not been adequately explained.
The application sought to demolish the existing buildings and construct a part five- to six-storey development with four retail tenancies fronting Coogee Bay Road, roof terraces and basement parking.
The panel found the application did not comply with Randwick Development Control Plan 2025 provisions covering recycling and waste management. It called for details of who would move bins between the street and basement, how the process would operate, and whether the proposed method was desirable and functional.
Waste management was one of a series of concerns behind the refusal under section 4.16 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
The panel also cited unacceptable impacts on the internal amenity of the building and surrounding residential areas, flooding affecting the proposed basement and car lift, traffic and parking issues, landscaping, water management, setbacks and the development’s consistency with Coogee’s desired future character.
The proposal failed to satisfy identified requirements under SEPP (Housing) 2021, including controls for deep soil, visual privacy, natural ventilation and apartment size and layout. The panel found the site was not suitable for the extent of development sought and that the application was not in the public interest.
The applicant was encouraged to hold without-prejudice discussions with Randwick Council before any Section 34 Conference. The discussions could address waste arrangements, planting on the front façade, structural loading, maintenance and matters raised in Council’s statements of facts and contentions.
Panel member Stephen Davies left the matter after declaring an actual conflict because his firm had prepared the site’s Heritage Assessment. He did not participate in the review, discussion or determination.
Reference minutes
Randwick City Council, Randwick Local Planning Panel (Public), 8 October 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- The Randwick Local Planning Panel unanimously refused DA/643/2026 under section 4.16 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
- The proposal at 209-215 Coogee Bay Road included 13 apartments, four retail tenancies, roof terraces and basement parking.
- The panel found non-compliance with Randwick Development Control Plan 2025 provisions for recycling and waste management.
- The applicant was asked to clarify who would move bins between the street and basement and the method’s practicality.
- The panel also cited flooding impacts involving the proposed basement and car lift, traffic and parking, landscaping, setbacks and amenity concerns.
- Stephen Davies declared an actual conflict and did not participate. The refusal was carried unanimously.
Why it matters
- The submitted design at 209-215 Coogee Bay Road cannot proceed after the panel found unresolved waste arrangements alongside broader amenity, flooding, parking and planning concerns.