2.17 Adaptable Housing and Accessibility
Part 2 – General Considerations for Development
Inclusive design ensures the Inner West is an equitable, safe, and dignified place for all. By removing physical barriers, we allow people with disabilities, seniors, parents with prams, and those with temporary injuries to live, work, and socialise independently.
Unlike institutional care, Adaptable Housing is mainstream accommodation designed for easy, low-cost modification. It supports "Ageing in Place," allowing residents to stay in their homes as their mobility needs evolve over time or as they acquire disabilities gradually.
Accessible design provides legible, equitable and dignified access to both buildings and the public domain. Improving the built environment creates wider community benefits, ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in the civic and social life of the Inner West.
Objectives
Universal Design: To ensure new dwellings are functional and safe for all occupants, including seniors, people with disability, and families with young children.
Ageing in Place: To provide housing that can be modified at minimal cost to support residents as their mobility needs change over time.
Equitable Choice: To provide a diverse mix of adaptable unit types (studio to 3+ bedroom) across various floor levels to ensure equal access to sunlight, views, and amenities.
Controls
All new dwellings are to comply with the Australian Building Codes Board ABCB Liveable Housing Design Standard 2022 unless exempted due to site gradient, or other site/spatial constraints.
A minimum of 10% of all dwellings are to be adaptable dwellings and are to be designed to Australian Standard AS 4299-1995 Adaptable Housing (Class C).
Adaptable units are to be distributed across different unit sizes and price points within the development and not clustered.
To ensure equitable housing outcomes, dwellings designed to meet Australian Standard AS 4299 (Adaptable Housing) or the ABCB Liveable Housing Design Standard 2022 are to be integrated into the overall building design and provide an equivalent level of amenity to non-adaptable units.
For new apartments, provide a continuous, step-free path of travel from the street and internal parking to the unit entrance, and all common facilities (e.g., rooftop gardens).
Provision Rates for adaptable dwellings are:
- a)0–7 dwellings — Nil
- b)8–14 dwellings — 1 dwelling
- c)15–21 dwellings — 2 dwellings
- d)22–29 dwellings — 3 dwellings
- e)30 or more dwellings — 20% of total dwellings
Any parking space allocated to an adaptable unit is to be designed to Australian Standard AS/NZS 2890.6:2009 Parking facilities, Part 6: Off-street parking for people with disabilities (including height clearances for van access).
Step-free access may only be waived where the site is subject to Flash Flooding or High Hazard flood levels that necessitate floor heights that cannot be reasonably ramped (requires a certified Engineer’s report).
Objectives
Equitable and Dignified Access: To ensure all people can access buildings and the public domain through integrated, safe, and non-discriminatory design.
Independence: To minimise barriers so that residents and visitors can navigate spaces independently without requiring staff or mechanical assistance.
Early Integration: To ensure accessibility is a fundamental part of the design process, preventing "add-on" solutions that compromise aesthetic or functional quality.
Heritage Balance: To provide equitable access to heritage-listed buildings while preserving significant historic fabric through innovative and sensitive design.
Controls
All accessible design proposals are to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and Australian Standard AS 1428.
A comprehensive Access Report, prepared by a suitably qualified Access Consultant (ACAA accredited), is to be submitted with the Development Application for all Complex Developments and proposals claiming Unjustifiable Hardship. Access reports are not required for alterations and additions and renovations of existing residential accommodation.
Site Planning and Dignified Entry
Pedestrian paths are to be physically separated from vehicle and bicycle lanes unless exemptions apply.
Weather protection (awnings, porches, or porticos) is to be provided at the principal pedestrian entrance.
Internal Design and Common Amenities
Design ramps, doors, and lifts to allow for independent use.
Any sanitary facilities including toilets and bathrooms, or seating areas in shared/public spaces are to be fully accessible (Australian Standard Design for Access and Mobility AS 1428.1), including designated spaces for wheelchairs and assistance animals.
To ensure the safety of all occupants during an emergency, fire-isolated stairs are to include a designated waiting space (refuge) on each landing. These spaces are to:
- a)Be of sufficient size to accommodate a wheelchair (min 800mm x 1300mm) without obstructing the required exit width for other occupants
- b)Be located within the fire-protected stairwell to allow for assisted evacuation by emergency services
Ground-floor dwellings are to be provided with at least one barrier-free exit path to the street or a safe public place. This may be achieved via:
- a)Internal Common Areas: A shared, level, or ramped path through a common lobby or corridor (preferred for security and privacy); or
- b)Direct Private Access: A private exit through the unit’s terrace or garden, provided the gate and path meet the requirements of AS 1428.1.
Heritage and Public Domain Encroachment
Where a proposed development involves a Heritage Item or is located within a Heritage Conservation Area (HCA), the provision of "barrier-free" access is to be prioritised. Design solutions are to follow the "Principle of Least Impact," which includes:
- a)Alternative Siting: Utilising side or rear entries for accessible access if the primary front entry cannot be modified without significant loss of heritage fabric.
- b)Reversible Interventions: Utilising high-quality modern ramps or platform lifts that are "optically lightweight" (e.g., glass and steel) and can be removed in the future without permanent damage to the original structure.
- c)Internal Level Changes: Modifying internal floor levels or utilising internal lifts rather than external ramps where the facade is of high significance.
Where an applicant claims that heritage impact is an absolute barrier to providing equitable access, they are to demonstrate:
- a)Prove Exhaustion of Alternatives: Demonstrate that at least three different design alternatives (e.g., different locations, different technologies like "invisible" step lifts, or internal reconfigurations) were investigated and found to be unfeasible.
- b)Economic vs. Heritage Justification: Distinguish between a design being "difficult or expensive" (which is generally not a valid excuse) and it being "physically destructive to essential heritage fabric."
- c)Expert Endorsement: Be co-authored by both a Certified Access Consultant and a Qualified Heritage Architect, explicitly stating that no suitable design alternative exists that would satisfy both the DDA and the NSW Heritage Act 1977.
Ramps may only encroach onto public land (including footpaths) if:
- a)It is the only way to avoid damage, removal or concealment of significant heritage fabric of a property in a Heritage Conservation Area, or a heritage item
- b)The building is a significant public facility where equitable access is highly desirable and no alternative access options are feasible
- c)The encroachment does not reduce the clear, unobstructed width of the footpath to less than 1.8 metres (to allow two wheelchairs or prams to pass safely)
Council may waive the requirement for a permanent ramp where it is demonstrated that:
- a)The building has a nil front setback AND the adjacent public footpath is too narrow to accommodate an encroachment without compromising pedestrian safety (refer C19)
- b)The height difference between the street and the floor level is so significant that a compliant ramp would be over 9 metres long, effectively "walling off" the street frontage
- c)In these instances, the applicant is to provide a Managed Access Strategy, which may include:
- i.Installation of an "assistance required" call button at the street level.
- ii.Use of a high-quality, lightweight portable ramp that is deployed by staff only when needed and stored inside when not in use.
- iii.Signage directing users to an alternative accessible entrance if one exists on a secondary frontage.