We've been planning for neighbourhoods and new housing in West Dapto for many years.
Our West Dapto Vision PDF, 15307.46 KB guides where and how neighbourhoods are built, including town and village centres. This plan is regularly reviewed to make sure it meets the needs of this growing community.
Here's a snapshot of how housing in West Dapto is expected to grow over the next few decades:
Around 19,500 homes estimated for the area
Five stages to support controlled and sustainable growth
Three town centres across the West Dapto area
Six village centres providing local neighbourhood hubs
West Dapto is divided into five stages so we can make sure the area grows in a controlled and sustainable way. Before each stage starts, we need to rezone the land, prepare neighbourhood plans, and look at what infrastructure Council needs to build.
Stages 1 and 2 of West Dapto are underway, with many homes already finished or being built. We’re currently preparing plans for the other three stages.
We’ve rezoned Stage 5 (known as Yallah Marshall Mount) and part of Stage 3. We will rezone the rest of Stages 3 and 4 once plans for those areas are finished.
You can download a map of the stages below.
Applications for new housing in West Dapto are considered against local development rules and specific plans for the area. These include:
- Wollongong Local Environmental Plan, which describes different land zones and what can be built on each zone.
- Wollongong Development Control Plan - Chapter D16 PDF, 18317.35 KB, which goes into detail about how new homes need to be designed and built.
- Neighbourhood Plans and Concept Development Applications. See the next section of this page for more information.
Most new housing development in West Dapto is likely to need approval in one of the following ways:
- Complying development is a fast-track approval process for straightforward development. Work will need to meet any relevant standards and be signed off by an accredited certifier.
- A development application will be needed for any development that doesn't meet the rules for complying development.
More information about planning and development policies can be found on our Development pages.
There are two ways to do neighbourhood planning in West Dapto:
- You can prepare a Neighbourhood Plan (with or without a Planning Proposal), or
- You can submit a Concept Development Application (CDA).
In West Dapto, Council usually prefers the Neighbourhood Plan approach. But the law (Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979) also allows you to use a CDA instead.
If you want to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan for West Dapto, the rules are in Chapter D16 of the Development Control Plan PDF, 18317.35 KB. Make sure you read the relevant parts before applying for any development approval.
Council collects contributions from developers to help improve public spaces, services and facilities.
Special rules apply for developer contributions in West Dapto.
The Contributions Plan is updated regularly.
See our Development Contributions page for more information.
Council has a team dedicated to working on Urban Release in the West Dapto Urban Release Area. The team is supported by many other teams within Council. This team includes:
- Urban Release Manager
- Strategic Planning Officers
- Stormwater Engineer
If you'd like to get in touch with the Urban Release Team, please contact Council.