The NSW Low and Mid Rise housing policy applies within 800 metres walking distance of 171 town centres and stations. This is the full list by council, with the 400 m and 800 m rings, the land that is excluded, and how to check a property.
The NSW Low and Mid Rise housing policy changes the rules for dual occupancies, terraces, townhouses and apartments on residential land near 171 nominated centres. If you own a block near one, the first question is whether it is in a housing area at all. This page lists every centre by council, then covers the rings, the exclusions and how to check a property.
The list is the Department of Planning's own, copied from its Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy page (updated 16 July 2025, and the same when we read it on 5 and 6 November 2026). For the 59 train stations in the separate rezoning program, see our TOD station list.
Which suburbs and town centres are in the NSW low and mid rise housing areas?
The department names 171 town centres, shopping centres and train stations in 40 council areas. Residential land within 800 metres walking distance of each can be in the policy. Inner West has the most with 11, then Sutherland Shire with 10 and Northern Beaches with 9. Kiama has one.
The Illawarra and Shoalhaven centres, first, because most of our owners ask about them:
- Wollongong: Corrimal, Dapto, Fairy Meadow and Warrawong town centres.
- Shellharbour: Albion Park, Shellharbour and Warilla Grove.
- Kiama: Kiama town centre.
- Shoalhaven: Bomaderry and Nowra.
Low and mid rise housing areas by council
The table lists the centres by council. Where a centre sits in two council areas it appears under both, so the counts add to more than 171. The names are the department's. A name such as "station and town centre" means both are nominated.
| Council | Centres and stations | Names |
|---|---|---|
| Bayside | 7 | Arncliffe station; Banksia station; Bexley North station; Rockdale Plaza shopping centre; Rockdale station and town centre; Turrella station; Kogarah station and town centre, also in Georges River |
| Blacktown | 4 | Blacktown station and town centre; Doonside station; Mount Druitt station and town centre; Seven Hills station |
| Burwood | 2 | Burwood station and town centre; Croydon station, also in Inner West |
| Camden | 2 | Camden town centre; Narellan Town Centre shopping centre |
| Campbelltown | 5 | Campbelltown station and town centre; Glenfield station; Ingleburn station and town centre; Macarthur station and town centre; Minto station |
| Canada Bay | 5 | Concord town centre (Majors Bay Road); Concord West station; Drummoyne town centre; Five Dock town centre; North Strathfield station |
| Canterbury Bankstown | 5 | Bankstown station; Chester Hill Shopping Centre; Regents Park station, also in Cumberland; Beverly Hills station, also in Georges River; Riverwood station and town centre, also in Georges River |
| Central Coast | 7 | Erina Fair shopping centre; Gosford station and town centre; Green Point Village shopping centre; The Entrance town centre; Tuggerah Westfield shopping centre; Woy Woy station and town centre; Wyong station and town centre |
| Cessnock | 1 | Cessnock town centre |
| Cumberland | 6 | Regents Park station, also in Canterbury Bankstown; Auburn station and town centre; Berala station and town centre; Granville station; Lidcombe station; Westmead station, also in Parramatta |
| Fairfield | 3 | Cabramatta station and town centre; Canley Vale station; Fairfield station and town centre |
| Georges River | 7 | Kogarah station and town centre, also in Bayside; Beverly Hills station, also in Canterbury Bankstown; Hurstville station and town centre; Mortdale station and town centre; Oatley station; Penshurst station; Riverwood station and town centre, also in Canterbury Bankstown |
| Hornsby | 5 | Asquith town centre; Hornsby station; Pennant Hills Market Place shopping centre; Thornleigh Marketplace shopping centre; Waitara station |
| Hunters Hill | 2 | Boronia Park town centre (Pittwater Road), also in Ryde; Gladesville town centre (Victoria Road), also in Ryde |
| Inner West | 11 | Annandale town centre (Booth Street); Ashfield station; Dulwich Hill station; Leichhardt Market Place shopping centre; Lilyfield light rail station; Marrickville station; Petersham station; St Peters station; Stanmore station; Croydon station, also in Burwood; Newtown station and town centre (King Street & Enmore Road), also in Sydney |
| Kiama | 1 | Kiama town centre |
| Ku-ring-gai | 8 | Gordon station and town centre; Killara station; Lindfield station and town centre; Pymble station; Roseville station; St Ives Shopping Village shopping centre; Turramurra station and town centre; Wahroonga station |
| Lake Macquarie | 6 | Belmont town centre; Boolaroo town centre (Main Road); Cardiff station; Charlestown shopping centre; Jewellstown Plaza shopping centre; Morisset station and town centre |
| Lane Cove | 2 | Lane Cove town centre; St Leonards station, also in North Sydney, Willoughby |
| Liverpool | 1 | Liverpool station |
| Maitland | 3 | Green Hills Stockland shopping centre; Maitland town centre; Rutherford Marketplace shopping centre |
| Mosman | 1 | Spit Junction town centre (Military Road and Spit Road) |
| Newcastle | 7 | Adamstown station; Hamilton station; Junction Fair shopping centre; Kotara station; Mayfield town centre; Wallsend town centre; Waratah Village Shopping Centre |
| North Sydney | 8 | Cremorne town centre; Crows Nest station; Milsons Point station; Neutral Bay town centre; Victoria Cross station; Waverton station; Wollstonecraft station; St Leonards station, also in Lane Cove, Willoughby |
| Northern Beaches | 9 | Balgowlah Stockland shopping centre; Dee Why town centre; Forestville town centre; Forestway shopping centre; Frenchs Forest Precinct (Warringah Road); Manly town centre; Manly Vale town centre; Mona Vale town centre; Warringah Mall shopping centre |
| Parramatta | 5 | Epping station and town centre; Carlingford Court shopping centre; Northmead Village shopping centre; Westmead station, also in Cumberland; Winston Hills Mall shopping centre, also in The Hills |
| Penrith | 1 | Penrith station and town centre |
| Port Stephens | 2 | Nelson Bay town centre; Raymond Terrace town centre |
| Randwick | 5 | Kensington light rail station; Kingsford Juniors light rail station; Maroubra Junction town centre; Randwick town centre and light rail station; UNSW Anzac Parade light rail station |
| Ryde | 8 | Boronia Park town centre (Pittwater Road), also in Hunters Hill; Eastwood station and town centre; Macquarie Park station; Meadowbank station; North Ryde station; Top Ryde shopping centre; West Ryde station and town centre; Gladesville town centre (Victoria Road), also in Hunters Hill |
| Shellharbour | 3 | Albion Park town centre (Tongarra Road); Shellharbour town centre; Warilla Grove shopping centre |
| Shoalhaven | 2 | Bomaderry town centre (Meroo Street); Nowra town centre |
| Strathfield | 2 | Flemington station; Homebush station |
| Sutherland Shire | 10 | Caringbah station and town centre; Cronulla station and town centre; Engadine town centre; Gymea station; Kirrawee station and town centre; Menai Marketplace shopping centre; Miranda station and town centre; Southgate shopping centre; Sutherland station and town centre; Woolooware station |
| Sydney | 8 | Broadway shopping centre and Glebe Point Road south; Darlinghurst and Paddington town centre (Oxford Street); Erskineville station and town centre (Erskineville Road); Kings Cross station and town centre; Redfern station; Surry Hills south town centre (Crown Street and Cleveland Street); Waterloo town centre (Danks Street); Newtown station and town centre (King Street & Enmore Road), also in Inner West |
| The Hills | 7 | Baulkham Hills town centre; Bella Vista station; Castle Hill station and town centre; Hills Showground station; Kellyville station; Norwest station and town centre; Winston Hills Mall shopping centre, also in Parramatta |
| Waverley | 1 | Bondi Junction station and town centre |
| Willoughby | 4 | St Leonards station, also in North Sydney, Lane Cove; Artarmon station; Chatswood station and town centre; Northbridge Plaza shopping centre (Sailors Bay Road) |
| Wollongong | 4 | Corrimal town centre; Dapto town centre; Fairy Meadow town centre; Warrawong town centre |
| Woollahra | 3 | Double Bay town centre; Edgecliff station and town centre; Rose Bay town centre (New South Head Road) |
Source: Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, "Low and Mid-Rise Housing areas" table, 171 rows, 40 local government areas, page updated 16 July 2025, rows identical on 5 and 6 November 2026.
What is the difference between the inner 400 m and outer 800 m area?
The inner area is within 400 metres walking distance of the centre or station entrance, and the outer area is 400 to 800 metres. Section 163 of the Housing SEPP draws that line. The inner area gets the larger floor space ratio and height for apartments in R3 and R4 zones.
For R3 and R4 land, section 180(2) sets a floor space ratio of 2.2:1 and a height of 22 m for a residential flat building (24 m for shop top housing) in the inner area. Section 180(3) sets 1.5:1 and 17.5 m in the outer area. Section 175 limits inner area buildings to six storeys or fewer and section 176 limits outer area buildings to four.
Walking distance means the real route on the ground, not a circle on a map. A block 600 metres away in a straight line can be beyond 800 metres by foot.
What you can build in a housing area depends on the housing type. This summary shows the main non-discretionary standards in Housing SEPP Chapter 6, in the version in force from 23 October 2026.
| Housing type | Minimum lot | Minimum width | Floor space ratio | Height | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dual occupancy | 450 m² | 12 m | 0.65:1 | 9.5 m | s 168 |
| Terraces | 500 m² | 18 m | 0.7:1 | 9.5 m | s 172(3) |
| Multi dwelling housing | 600 m² | 12 m | 0.7:1 | 9.5 m | s 172(2) |
| Residential flat building or shop top housing, R1 or R2 | 500 m² | 12 m | 0.8:1 | 9.5 m | s 179 |
The full set, including parking and the R3 and R4 standards, is in our post on manor houses, terraces and townhouses. The dual occupancy lot sizes that apply outside the housing areas are in minimum lot size for a dual occupancy, by council.
Which land is excluded even inside 800 m?
Section 164 of the Housing SEPP excludes several kinds of land even when it is within 800 metres. They include bush fire prone land, heritage items, land under the Transport Oriented Development chapter, and land within 800 metres of the deferred stations in Schedule 12. Four whole council areas are excluded as well.
The Schedule 12 stations are Cockle Creek, Punchbowl and Wiley Park. The excluded council areas are Bathurst, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Wollondilly (section 164(1)(e)). Section 164 also covers coastal vulnerability areas, aircraft noise contours, pipeline buffers, certain flood land and land marked on the Low and Mid Rise Housing Exclusion Map. The R2 zoning post has the full exclusions table.
Is the department's list the legal test?
No. The test is section 163 of the Housing SEPP. Land is in the policy if it is within 800 metres walking distance of land marked "Town Centre" on the Town Centres Map or of the entrance to a Schedule 11 station. The department's list is a summary, updated 16 July 2025.
The department's page says the indicative map "can't factor in individual property constraints, and local walking networks", and that landowners need to check the legislation for a specific property. If your block is near the edge of a ring, treat the list as a starting point.
How do I check if my property is in a low and mid rise housing area?
Find the nearest centre in the table above, then check your lot on the NSW Planning Portal spatial viewer and the department's indicative map. Then work out the walking distance to the centre or station entrance and check each exclusion in section 164.
A section 10.7 planning certificate lists the zoning and the hazards on the lot. Our guide to the certificate covers what to look for. Your council can confirm how it treats the lot. If the block is also near a station in the TOD program, the TOD controls apply instead, and the TOD station list shows which stations are in it.
If you want us to check it for you, book a free assessment. We check what your land can carry and show you the numbers within 24 hours.
Common questions
How many town centres and stations are in the NSW Low and Mid Rise housing areas?
The Department of Planning lists 171 nominated town centres and train stations across 40 council areas in Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven. Some centres sit in two council areas, so the council counts add to more than 171. The department's page was updated on 16 July 2025, and the list was unchanged when we read it on 5 and 6 November 2026.
Which Illawarra and Shoalhaven centres are in the Low and Mid Rise housing areas?
Wollongong has Corrimal, Dapto, Fairy Meadow and Warrawong town centres. Shellharbour has Albion Park, Shellharbour and Warilla Grove. Kiama has its town centre. Shoalhaven has Bomaderry and Nowra. Residential land within 800 metres walking distance of those centres can be in the policy, unless an exclusion applies to the land.
What is the difference between the inner 400 m and outer 800 m area?
The inner area is within 400 metres walking distance of the town centre or station entrance, and the outer area is 400 to 800 metres. In R3 and R4 zones the inner area gets a floor space ratio of 2.2:1 for residential flat buildings, and the outer area gets 1.5:1. Housing SEPP sections 180(2) and 180(3) set those figures.
Is the department's list of 171 centres the legal test?
No. Housing SEPP section 163 sets the test. Land is in the policy if it is within 800 metres walking distance of land marked Town Centre on the Town Centres Map, or of the entrance to a Schedule 11 station. The department's list and indicative map summarise that. The department says the map cannot reflect individual property constraints or local walking networks.
Are Wollondilly, Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains in the Low and Mid Rise housing areas?
No. Section 164(1)(e) of the Housing SEPP excludes the Bathurst, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Wollondilly council areas from the Low and Mid Rise chapter. The same section excludes bush fire prone land, heritage items, land under the Transport Oriented Development chapter, and land within 800 metres of the deferred stations in Schedule 12.
How do I check if my property is in a Low and Mid Rise housing area?
Find your nearest town centre or station on the department's list, check the indicative map, then use the NSW Planning Portal spatial viewer for your lot. The map cannot account for walking routes or site constraints, so confirm with a section 10.7 planning certificate and your council. A property near a listed centre can still be excluded.
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