Former NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes’ changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy [SEPP] officially kicked in on 01 November. And it is ‘functioning’, as it was no doubt designed to. That’s to say, it is a sham framework that draws in a pittance in revenue for the State Government and concurrently makes an utter mockery of our Planning framework, all the while undermining the rights of residents to secure, safe, affordable housing. Today’s Sydney Morning Herald r

In a landmark 2013 NSW Land and Environment Court (LEC) case law judgement, Justice Rachel Pepper found that the action of landlords in letting residential housing as short-term holiday rentals “offends and undermines the planning regime of the…(Local Government Area) LGA and ultimately of the State”. Gosford Council’s failure to enforce residential zoning left the applicants, John and Rosemary Dobrohotoff, to seek relief from the Court over their neighbour Rhonda Bennic’s u