The Ministry of Home Affairs would like to inform the public that the start date for receiving planning applications at the Department of Planning for apartments designated “(Cycles Only)” will be July 16th2018.
The public will recall that in June 2018 Government announced the creation of this new category of dwelling unit that will have an assessment number, but will be restricted from having a private car registered to the address.
This new type of unit (one-bedroom or studio units) can provide additional income for homeowners with smaller properties who previously were unable to create a rental unit.
No legislative changes were required to implement this new category, however, there were some minor system changes that were needed; changes that have now been made.
This initiative achieves a Throne Speech promise to, “stimulate construction demand and provide homeowners with additional income.”
Until the creation of this new category, there was no way to issue an assessment number to an address that would not automatically include the ability to register a car against the unit, thereby limiting the creation of dwelling units to those properties that were able to provide the required car parking on their site.
“Many homeowners have space to create an additional unit, but are unable to create additional parking spaces,” said the Minister of Home Affairs the Hon. Walton brown JP MP. “This provides a new opportunity for home owners, who would otherwise not be able to build additional units because of parking constraints, to maximise their potential for rental income.”