On 17 October 2025, Planning Minister Paul Scully switched off the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) referral trigger for State Significant Development (SSD) applications covering seniors housing and Build to Rent – the same change he made for in-fill affordable housing in December 2024.
The tweak sounds minor but the impact is considerable: referrals that routinely added months to already long timelines will no longer be automatic. Instead, determinations will sit with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) – streamlining decisions while reserving the IPC for its core, complex functions.
“This small but significant amendment will save six-eight months in the approval process for these critical housing types,” said Daniel West, Director, Planning at Colliers Urban Planning (formerly Ethos Urban).
Daniel credited a two-year push by the Colliers team – Schandel Fortu, Matthew Di Maggio and himself – for the outcome: “Our persistence has finally paid off.”
