The NSW government has introduced a pattern book offering eight affordable housing designs, aimed at offering low-cost homes in new suburbs.

Council of the City of Sydney

The New South Wales government has unveiled a pattern book featuring eight pre-approved housing designs, including terraces, semis, a manor home, and a row development. These designs are available for purchase at a significantly reduced cost, starting at one dollar for a limited time before reverting to $1,000 per plan, compared to traditional design costs that can exceed $50,000.

The initiative aims to streamline the approval process, with construction able to commence within ten days of application. While the designs are expected to be most popular in new master-planned suburbs, the government has not intervened in construction pricing, leaving final costs to the open market. The opposition has welcomed the pattern book but raised concerns about the advertising materials. Additional designs for mid-rise apartments are planned for release later in the year.

NSW launches affordable housing design pattern book

In the oldest surviving public building in the city, the government unveils a modern take on an old idea, resurrecting a pattern book, eight housing designs that won't cost a mint. You can purchase a top shelf house design for a single dollar. $1,400 already sold today, the price reverts to $1,000 per plan in six months, well under current design costs. It's $50,000 and up. The designs include four terraces, two semis, one manor home and one row development. And while the concept isn't new, you used to be able to get patterns out of a women's weekly. Fast tracked approval is. People will be able to get their designs, we'll be able to adapt them and we'll be able to have an approval to commence construction within 10 days. Means that we can get great quality homes on the ground faster than ever before. Where is not clear. The Planning Institute suspects they'll prove most popular in new master planned suburbs. The new lots are designed to meet these designs and then we could see those rolled out in quite large numbers in those areas. While there will be savings around approval times and design expenses, savings around the building budget are not guaranteed. With no government intervention on pricing, it'll be up to the open market to decide the cost of constructing these homes. In the early days, I suspect the major saving will come from savings in time. While welcoming the pattern book, the opposition is questioning the advertising for it. This glossy brochure is almost like a thirst trap. We have scantily clad people as part of the brochure. Designs for mid-rise apartments will be released later this year.

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