- The New South Wales government has unveiled the NSW Housing Pattern Book.
- Essentially, itโll offer $1 architectural plans with fast-tracked planning approval in 10 days.
- The program includes โeight terrace, townhouse, and manor house designs for families, young people, and downsizers.โ
It might feel like the only thing anyone talks about these days, but thatโs just how ubiquitous Australiaโs housing crisis is โ and despite multiple attempts to ease the pain with policy, nothing has meaningfully remedied the situation thus far.
โDespite booming demand, weโre building half as many homes per hour worked compared to 30 years ago, and national output is around 50% below the housing target,โ Zane Williams, an architectural designer and modular housing specialist, explains to B.H. โWith costs up 50% since 2019 and build times stretching from eight to over 12 months, itโs clear we need radical reform.โ
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In response to this ongoing shortage, the New South Wales government has now unveiled the NSW Housing Pattern Book, which offers anyone looking to build a home eight different multi-dwelling architectural plans. Such schematics typically cost around $20,000 to produce; the program is offering them for a mere $1 over the next six months, before eventually increasing the price to $1,000.
Additionally, properties built using the NSW Housing Pattern Book will enjoy a 10-day approval pathway, significantly cutting down the time it ordinarily takes for a green light to build homes in the state. This fast track will be available to anyone from July 30th, 2025.
โI think this could be the start of the biggest shakeโup weโve seen since the postโwar boom,โ says Williams. โSuburbs like Newcastle and Bathurst were built from postโwar pattern books; they were used again in the 60s and 70s, which is why so many of those classically Australian cream brick houses look the same.โ
โBack in the late 1940s and early 50s, you could knock up a fibro cottage in months, not years. Today, the NSW planning system can involve up to 27 steps for a Development Application and nearly 50 to get an Occupation Certificate.โ
Not only will the NSW Housing Pattern Book speed up the process of building new homes, but itโll also significantly reduce the cost for Aussies looking to build a home from scratch. Williams estimates that up to 17% of a home build cost currently goes towards professional fees โ paying engineers, certifiers, quantity surveyors, and the rest.
โThese preโapproved pattern book designs are just $1 for six months. However, you still will need to hire an architect to support you by preparing the required documentation and signing the NSW Housing Pattern Book Design Verification Statement. Itโs impossible to say at this early stage, but you could halve the usual perโunit spend on professional fees if youโre using the Pattern Book.โ
In addition to the NSW Housing Pattern Book, the fast-tracked approval process marks an enormous shift in the way new homes are constructed. According to statistics from this past June, the average approval time is 102 days for an assessment. But the reality is that very few people get a building permit in less than a year (from the time of lodgement).
โIf you use a Pattern Book design, a private certifier can issue approval in just ten days.โ
This fast-tracked system wonโt just save home builders time, either.
Zane Williams continues: โFor most developers, building in Sydney just doesnโt stack up anymore. And a big reason is that developers often have to take councils to court to get approval. That means legal fees and significant time delays get baked into the project cost, so as a buyer, youโre effectively funding both sides of the fight.โ
โIf your townhouse or apartment project runs into a council objection, youโre not just delayed โ itโs a financial hit. Youโre carrying legal risk, developers carry it, and the whole thing ends up in your purchase price. Thatโs exactly what this Pattern Book aims to change: preโapproved designs, simpler pathways, and no court fights over every build.โ
Though this is by no means a silver bullet for the entire countryโs housing woes. And certain parties have already raised concerns about the NSW Housing Pattern Book.
โIf it saves a lot of the paperwork processes, thatโs wonderful,โ Kylie Mills, a registered architect in NSW, tells the ABC. โBut they havenโt actually dictated what sort of materials these designs might be built out of.โ
Samantha Donnelly, a lecturer at the School of Interior Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney, also voiced concerns to the ABC, specifically around a lack of โadequate diversity and accessโ for occupants.
โThis kind of cookie-cutter approach and one-size-fits-all housing isnโt an ideal solution,โ says Donnelly.
Criticisms aside, given the concept has proven successful in decades past, could the NSW Housing Pattern Book provide a necessary path forward by directly addressing the bureaucracy?
โThis is a golden opportunity for us to scale out high-quality, well-designed homes that previously only bespoke projects could deliver,โ affirms Zane Williams. โWith pre-approved designs and fast-track approvals, builders and architects can focus on refining details and on-site quality rather than getting bogged down in red tape.โ
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While the program will only be available in NSW to begin with, Williams hopes that it inspires other states around the country to offer similar relief to the ongoing housing crisis.
โI really hope success in NSW gives other states the confidence to jump on board. We could see a dramatic uplift in affordable, quality housing, no longer confined to bespoke projects, and not just in one state,โ he says.
โThe federal government has kicked in $54โฏmillion to boost the prefabricated and modular housing industry, aiming to cut construction times and reduce costs. I think that the pattern book can act as a catalyst; nowโs our chance to turn prefab and modular from a niche into the norm.โ
For more information on the NSW Housing Pattern Book, head to the link below.
