The shire’s building boom is off the blocks and running with 70 development applications lodged in the first five working days of the Sutherland Shire Local Environmental Plan being gazetted.
In June 2014 there were just over 100 development applications lodged.
In June 2015, 166 were lodged.
Additional development assessment staff are being recruited by the council to deal with the increased volume of DAs.
Residents will now be able to book an appointment to lodge DAs valued over $1 million or if lodging two or more applications.
And they will be able to drop their application off and be invoiced later.
The surge in applications has highlighted particular development hot spots in the shire.
Gymea and Engadine are two suburbs which should experience significant growth, said Xcel Property Group managing director Kim Clarke.
His company is investing in three new developments in Gymea and Engadine including two townhouses and an apartment block.
These are a seven-house development on Princes Highway next to Gymea Technology High School, a 15-townhouse development on the southern fringe of Engadine and a five-storey block with 27 apartments and two shops in Caldarra Avenue, Engadine.
‘‘Over the past 12 months property values in these areas have climbed upwards of 12 per cent, and median house prices now range between $700,000 to above $900,000,’’ Mr Clarke said.
‘‘In addition to Gymea and Engadine, other up-and-coming suburbs include Kurnell, Kareela and Como.’’
Before the LEP was gazetted Sutherland Shire Council was still one of the top 15 busiest councils in NSW for the number of development applications determined.
The council determined 1126 DAs in 2013-14, placing it 13th out of 152 local government areas in NSW.
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