LMR check: is your block in a Low and Mid-Rise area?

The minimums

Inside the catchment, the state numbers override the LEP where they are more generous. Outside it, nothing changes — your council rules still apply. Duplexes are the exception: they are permitted in every R2 zone in the Six Cities region, catchment or not, though the LEP lot size applies outside.

How it works

The catchment is drawn around town centres and stations the Government has listed — on the Northern Beaches that is Dee Why, Brookvale, Manly, Mona Vale and Forestville among others — and it is measured as an 800 m walk, not a radius. Block Checker reads the state map and tells you whether your lot is inside.

In R2 the policy permits dual occupancies (450 m², 12 m), terraces (500 m², 18 m), townhouses — multi-dwelling housing that is not a terrace row — (600 m², 12 m) and manor houses (500 m², 12 m), all at two storeys and 9.5 m. In R3 and in the inner part of the catchment it also allows residential flat buildings up to six storeys, which is the "mid-rise" half.

It works alongside the CDC fast-track code and the Pattern Book. The policy decides what is permitted; those two decide how fast you can get approval.

Common pitfalls

• Exclusions — the policy does not apply on heritage items, on bushfire prone land, in flood planning areas, or in C4 Environmental Living zones. A conservation area alone does not exclude you, but a listed item does.
• The walk, not the radius — 800 m as the crow flies is not the test. A lot across a creek or a highway from the centre can be outside the catchment while its neighbour is inside.
• Lot width at the building line — the policy measures width where the building sits. A block with 12 m at the street and 11 m at the setback line fails.
• Councils still assess — LMR changes what is permissible, not how Council judges design, parking, trees and stormwater. Expect the usual DA scrutiny.
• Rules move — the centre list, the catchments and the numbers have all changed since the policy was announced, and can again. Confirm the current version before you buy on the strength of it.