The New South Wales housing code has widened the conditions for its 10-day approval process leading to more money and time saved for homeowners.

Owners of new houses, attic conversions, extensions, basements, garages, carports and rear lane developments that qualify under the government's design rules can go to accredited certifiers for approval instead of filing a development application. The changes also include making the new faster process applicable to lots sized 200 square meters or more instead of limiting it to lots of only 450 square meters big.

Minister for Planning Tony Kelly said in a statement that the government's agenda of planning reforms was delivering results for the people of New South Wales. Moreover, it is simplifying the NSW planning system by allowing low risk and low impact developments to be carried out by eliminating the need for a development application.

The proposed changes include: additional types of low risk and low impact developments permissible as complying development;reduce the areas that are excluded from the Codes SEPP and simplify some of the existing development standards.?When the new rules come into place, the whole process may be cut by around 64 days or more.

“In fact, more than 150,000 extra lots across metropolitan Sydney alone are set to benefit from these changes," Kelly told The Australian Property Investor. "These codes have freed up council planning departments for important strategic planning activities and significant DAs requiring more intensive merit assessment, while ensuring routine development types are able to proceed with a minimum of fuss."