b"APRIL 20254.2 Design Guidelines, Design Review and Design ExcellenceNSW has also created a new industry ofUrban Taskforce members, who typically use bureaucracy-pleasing design review and so- top-tier, local and international award-winning called design excellence. It amounts to a make- architects, are forced to run the gauntlet of local work scheme for architects, cost a fortune, wastesdesign panels, whose subjective input often months (often well over a year while holdingdetracts from the initial design, and always wastes costs are mounting). time and money, ultimately adding to the cost of construction.The worst manifestation of this in NSW is the highly prescriptive and innovation killing ApartmentThese obligations do not generally exist in greater Design Guidelines. While they are only GuidelinesBrisbane or Melbourne and where they do, there is in name, most councils use them as minimuma much lighter touch so the impact on price is lower standards and force applicants through the courts(see Case Study 3).to get any form of merit-based assessment. Unlike the Victorian Apartment Design Guidelines, those that apply in NSW go into enormous detailNSW has also created a on minimum apartment size, deep-soil zones,new industry of bureaucracy-communal and public open space, separation between buildings, solar access to bedrooms,pleasing design review and waste management, landscape design,so-called design excellence. planting on structures, common area design etc. Every one of these guidelines, when used prescriptively, adds to cost.4.3 Fees, Taxes, Charges, Levies and ContributionsAnother way that governments directly contributeaffordable housing contributions (another state to housing costs is through fees, taxes and charges.tax where most new home buyers pay significantly more so a selected few can get cheaper houses), stamp duties, new water infrastructure charges, half the value of newand land tax all impact on the cost of a new home house and land packagesand all can be reduced by the State Government.($576,000), and 38 perThe CIE has identified the taxation of the Housing cent of new apartmentsSector in each of the capital cities. ($346,000), in Sydney areThey conclude that half the value of new house and land packages ($576,000), and 38 per cent of new government taxes, regulatoryapartments ($346,000), in Sydney are government costs and charges taxes, regulatory costs and charges; an increase of 38 per cent ($160,000) just since their last report in 2019. The impact of fees, taxes and charges are multi-faceted. Firstly, they damage the feasibility of newWhen publishing the CIE Report, the Housing home production which in turn has a direct impactIndustry Association stated: It is incongruous that on housing supply. Where houses are produced,governments set home building targets, while at they also make those houses more expensive. the same time tax new home building even more. Local infrastructure fees, Housing ProductivityThe more government tax new homes, the fewer Contributions (a state tax to fund infrastructure),homes will be built. 1717Housing industry Association, (2025), 'Housing taxation doubles in just 5 years', Chart 8, HIA Website. Accessed from: https://hia.com.au/our-industry/newsroom/economic-research-and-forecasting/2025/03/housing-taxation-doubles-in-just-5-years?ref=blog.kenekt.app&srsltid=AfmBOop40uokEpWJCNWUq YXWJBpAGS9cKT9XgSOeS3Y4TMW7NVWZdjAX17"