Strata community speaks out against small apartment trend, cites increase in high-rises
The peak body for the strata sector in Queensland is calling on the State Government to review local building design standards to prevent the growing market for smaller apartments from escalating to low-quality high-rise development.
New South Wales and Victoria are currently in the process of finalising such reviews and Strata Community Australia (Queensland) wants measures in place in Queensland to ensure quality living spaces.
Reflecting micro-living trends and a nationwide apartment boom, apartments offering as little as 35 square metres of living area are now emerging throughout Australian strata title property.
While Strata Community Australia (Queensland) has stressed that it is not against smaller living areas, provided that quality and functionality are not compromised.
“High density living is the future of Australia’s cities, so it’s important the buildings of QLD are regulated by common sense laws,” Strata Community Australia (Qld) President Simon Barnard said today.
“We don’t want to see the emergence of cheap and nasty apartment “dogboxes” that are the hallmark of some apartment metropolis’ overseas.”
“With the right design and innovation, Australian construction is well and truly capable of meeting the needs and wants of property stakeholders so we encourage the prioritising of design, rather than bigger living.”
In New South Wales, Planning Minister Rob Stokes has confirmed Government support for what is reportedly known as the builders rule of thumb, specifying 35 square metres for studios, 50 square metres for one-bedroom apartments and 70 square metres for two-bedroom apartments.
We are certainly pleased by the decision in New South Wales to not increase minimum apartment size but we want legislation in Queensland and all around the country to reflect a great deal more than size,” Mr Barnard said.
Nationally, 40 per cent of new dwellings are now apartments or units, and this figure is only going up, so SCA (Qld) is adamant there needs to be action on this beyond the two states in question.
“We understand that for design to be prioritised over space, building standards must be closely examined and monitored; so we are calling on the Queensland Government to take this into consideration immediately in the form of a review.”
“We are hearing that the already active Victorian review will reportedly not be completed until the middle of next year so we implore Queensland Government officials to give this matter some urgency,” Mr Barnard said.
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