Access consultant for Bayside and Canterbury-Bankstown: DA access reports, adaptable and livable housing
Sydney Access Consultants is based in Hurstville, next to both council areas. Principal Gary Finn is an Accredited Member of the Access Consultants Association (member 435). Bayside DCP 2022 requires 20% AS 4299 Class C adaptable dwellings in developments with 10 or more dwellings. Canterbury-Bankstown DCP 2023 requires 40% Livable Housing: 20% Silver and 20% Gold for apartments and shop-top housing. Call (02) 9586 3111.
Developers and architects lodging Class 2 residential flat, shop-top or mixed-use DAs in Rockdale, Arncliffe, Wolli Creek, Mascot, Botany, Brighton-Le-Sands, Bankstown, Campsie, Lakemba, Punchbowl, Canterbury, Belmore and Revesby need a consultant who knows the difference between the two rulebooks. Boarding house and co-living proponents, childcare, church, medical and shop operators, and certifiers after an RFI also use this page. NSW currently applies NCC 2022 Amendment 2, read with its 29 October 2026 corrigendum. NCC 2025 applies from 1 May 2027.
Two councils, two different rulebooks
| Control | Bayside DCP 2022 | Canterbury-Bankstown DCP 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Housing standard used | AS 4299 adaptable housing | Livable Housing Design Guidelines |
| Trigger | 10+ dwellings in multi dwelling housing, shop-top housing and residential flat buildings | All residential flat buildings and shop-top housing; multi dwelling housing at 5+ |
| Percentage and level | 20% Class C | 20% Silver + 20% Gold (40% total) |
| Ground-floor rule | Adaptable units on the ground floor where there is no lift | Noted for shop-top housing (will not deliver ground-floor dwellings) |
| Co-living / boarding | Not specified in the same terms | 20% of rooms at Silver |
| Variation route | Performance Solutions with access report for complex developments | May vary LHDG Element 1 (Dwelling Access) where step-free paths are shown to be impossible |
| Accessible parking | Half of the adaptable dwellings get allocated accessible resident parking, forming part of the unit's strata lot | Depends on development size; spaces close to the entrance with ramps or lifts between levels |
DCP controls change. We check the chapter in force when we take the job.
Bayside Council (Rockdale, Mascot, Botany, Arncliffe, Kogarah fringe)
Access, section 3.6.1
C2: all development must comply with the access Standards, the BCA and the DDA. Complex developments using alternative (Performance) solutions must include an access report by a suitably qualified access professional. C5: heritage cannot be used to avoid access without evidence that there are no suitable alternatives. C6: egress waiting space on fire-stair landings, and accessible egress from ground-floor apartments. C8 and C9: ramps are preferred to lifts where viable. Where a lift is used, the DCP sets matters to consider: safety, ease of use, reliability and comfort. See wheelchair ramp gradients.
Adaptable dwellings and universal housing, section 3.6.2
C2: universal design measures for all ground-floor dwellings in attached, multi dwelling and residential flat developments. These are a continuous path, a level entrance, suitable door and corridor widths, a ground-level toilet, reinforced walls, and a handrail where a stair rises more than 1 m. C3: minimum 20% adaptable to AS 4299 Class C in developments with 10 or more dwellings. C4: ground floor where there are no lifts. C5: design matters for adaptable units, including parking. See adaptable housing.
Accessible parking, section 3.5.5, Table 4
Half of the adaptable dwellings get allocated accessible resident parking. Residential spaces to AS 4299 or AS 2890.6. Visitor and commercial spaces to AS 2890.6. Accessible spaces form part of the adaptable unit's strata lot. Retail and medical car parks: 5% accessible. See accessible car parking NSW.
Which Bayside PDF is current?
The 2021 Part 3C PDF that still appears in search says 20% Class B. The current DCP 2022 says Class C. Lodge against DCP 2022.
Canterbury-Bankstown Council (Bankstown, Campsie, Lakemba, Punchbowl, Revesby)
Livable housing, Chapter 5.1 section 11 and Chapter 5.2 section 9
Both covers now read "June 2023 (Amended March 2026)". The wording is the same in both chapters. These sections apply to the construction of new dwellings, not to modifications to existing dwellings.
- Residential flat buildings and shop-top housing: at least 40% of new dwellings must comply with the Livable Housing Design Guidelines, split into at least 20% Silver and at least 20% Gold. Council may vary Design Element 1 (dwelling access) if it is satisfied that step-free pathways cannot be achieved. The DCP notes that shop-top housing will not deliver ground-floor dwellings.
- Boarding houses and co-living (both chapters): a minimum 20% of new boarding rooms or private rooms must achieve LHDG Silver. See co-living housing access.
- Multi dwelling and attached dwellings (five or more): the listed feature sets apply now, and are not AS 4299 adaptable units. At least 20% of new dwellings need the listed entry-level features (a continuous path, 820 mm doorways, 1000 mm corridors, a ground-floor toilet, a hobless shower, reinforced walls, and stair handrails). A further 20% need the enhanced dimensions (a 10 m² ground-floor bedroom, 1200 mm corridors, a 1350 × 1350 mm entry landing, 850 mm ground-floor doors, and the listed bathroom and stair clearances). The 40% LHDG split for these types applies only "should the National Construction Code apply livable housing design requirements to class 1a buildings in NSW". Because NSW has not adopted those Parts, do not describe that Silver / Gold label as a current mandate.
- Dwelling houses and secondary dwellings: the listed features apply now, with dimensions shown on a floor plan. LHDG Silver applies only under the same NCC Class 1a condition.
- Dual occupancies and semi-detached dwellings: the listed features apply now, with dimensions shown on a floor plan. The one-Gold and one-Silver label applies only under that same NCC Class 1a condition.
- Certification: neither Section 9 nor Section 11 requires a specific report or certificate. In practice, expect the access report to carry the relevant schedule.
Why AS 4299 still turns up in Canterbury-Bankstown
The current DCP chapters for residential flat buildings and shop-top housing do not call up AS 4299, and neither "AS 4299" nor "adaptable" appears in Chapter 5.2 s9 or Chapter 5.1 s11. AS 4299 still turns up because older Bankstown DCP 2015 approvals identified adaptable apartments, some 2024 consents still list adaptable layout sheets alongside livable ones, and consultants often keep reporting against AS 4299 out of habit. Check the consent and the DCP chapter in force for the job. Do not assume an AS 4299 schedule is required.
What this means for your schedule
Silver and Gold are Livable Housing Design Guidelines levels, not AS 4299 classes, and they differ in spatial and feature requirements. The 40% Silver and Gold rule for new apartments and shop-top housing is a council requirement. NSW has not adopted the NCC Livable Housing Design Standard for Class 1a or Class 2 sole-occupancy units, which is why the Silver / Gold labels for houses, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and multi dwelling housing should not be treated as a current mandate. See livable housing and SDA vs livable vs adaptable.
Parking, Chapter 3.2 (amended August 2025)
Accessible parking depends on development size. Accessible spaces go close to the entrance, with ramps or lifts between levels. Confirm the rate table in force for the job.
Chapters 6 and 7 cover the Bankstown City Centre, Campsie, Belmore and Lakemba, and Punchbowl and Wiley Park. No extra access or livable controls were found in the residential chapters reviewed.
Other projects we do in both council areas
- Childcare: childcare access reports NSW
- Places of worship: places of worship access reports NSW
- Medical and dental: medical centre clinic access reports NSW
- Restaurants, cafés and bars: restaurant cafe access reports NSW
- Shopfront fit-outs and changes of use: change of use fit-out access NSW
- Seniors housing: seniors housing SEPP accessibility NSW
- Existing-building audits: existing building access audit NSW
- Section 4.55 modifications: access report section 4.55 modification NSW
- OC inspections: occupation certificate access inspection NSW
Typical local project types include Class 2 residential and mixed-use, childcare centres, public buildings, churches, bars and shops.
Local, accredited, and honest about it
The office is at Suite 7/438 Forest Road, Hurstville. Bayside and Canterbury-Bankstown are both short trips, and both are regular areas. We do not claim local offices. We do not state same-day turnaround. Principal Gary Finn is an Accredited Member of the Access Consultants Association (member 435). Gary Finn has completed the Livable Housing Design Guidelines assessor training (twice) and the Livable Housing Design Standard Assessor Course, and assesses designs against Livable Housing requirements where a DCP, consent condition or SDA brief calls for them. See the sibling page Sutherland access reports and locations.
Work is based in Hurstville for metropolitan Sydney, with a focus on Cronulla, the Sutherland Shire and Georges River. On the Mid North Coast, Sandy Grey works from Black Beach.
What to send us
DA plans or the CC set, unit schedule, survey, council pre-DA notes, any consent condition, and the certifier RFI. The free initial consultation reviews floor plans only. Call (02) 9586 3111 for a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bayside Council require adaptable housing?
Yes. Under Bayside Development Control Plan 2022, section 3.6.2 C3, at least 20% of dwellings in new multi dwelling housing, shop-top housing and residential flat buildings with 10 or more dwellings must be adaptable dwellings designed and built to AS 4299 Class C. Where there is no lift, the adaptable dwellings go on the ground floor. Half of the adaptable dwellings must be allocated accessible resident parking, and that parking forms part of the unit's strata lot. The older Part 3C document that still appears in search, which says Class B, has been superseded.
What does Canterbury-Bankstown Council require for accessible housing?
Canterbury-Bankstown DCP 2023 (Chapters 5.1 and 5.2, amended March 2026) uses the Livable Housing Design Guidelines rather than an AS 4299 percentage. Residential flat buildings and shop-top housing need at least 40% of new dwellings to comply: 20% at Silver level and 20% at Gold level. Boarding houses and co-living need 20% of rooms at Silver. Council can vary the step-free dwelling access element where step-free paths are shown to be impossible.
Who can prepare the access report for a Bayside or Canterbury-Bankstown DA?
An accredited access consultant who checks the DCP chapter in force when the job starts. Sydney Access Consultants is based in Hurstville and works regularly in both council areas. Principal Gary Finn is an Accredited Member of the Access Consultants Association (member 435). Call (02) 9586 3111 for a fee. The free initial consultation reviews floor plans only.
Does Canterbury-Bankstown still require AS 4299 adaptable units?
No. The current DCP chapters for residential flat buildings and shop-top housing do not call up AS 4299. Older consents may still mention adaptable units. Check the consent and the DCP chapter in force for the job.
What does "20% Silver and 20% Gold" mean for my apartment schedule?
For new apartments and shop-top housing in Canterbury-Bankstown, at least 40% of new dwellings must meet the Livable Housing Design Guidelines, split into at least 20% Silver and at least 20% Gold. Schedule them separately from any other controls.
Do co-living or boarding house projects in Canterbury-Bankstown need livable rooms?
Yes. Both Chapter 5.1 and Chapter 5.2 require at least 20% of new boarding rooms or private rooms at Silver.
How many accessible parking spaces go with adaptable units in Bayside?
Half of the adaptable dwellings get allocated accessible resident parking. Those spaces form part of the adaptable unit's strata lot.
Do you cover Rockdale, Mascot, Bankstown and Campsie?
Yes. These are regular areas, close to the Hurstville office.
Can you do on-site access audits there?
Yes. That work is chargeable. Call (02) 9586 3111 for a fee.
See also apartment access reports NSW, DA vs CC access report and what certifiers want in an access report.