After a lengthy gestation, the long-awaited amendments became effective from October 2007.

The amendments include clarification of matters relating to village design and site requirements, land that can be used for retirement housing, Vertical villages.

The New South Wales State Government recently enacted the replacement legislation to the controversial SEPP 5 which had been heavily criticised as not meeting its objectives.

SEPP5 was introduced to encourage the building of medium density housing for older and disabled people, so they could remain in their community rather than have to relocate to a different area. However the use of the age of "over 55" as a benchmark was flawed. Many people in the 55 - 65 + age group are very active and in no need of "accessible" housing.

The result has been the building of medium-density villa and apartment developments that are unsuitable for the elderly. At the same time many councils, especially in Sydney, have rejected applications to build the housing that is suitable for the elderly. With the population of 75 + expected to grow by 55% in the next 18 years we face a very significant shortfall of retirement housing - a problem of a seriousness that cannot be overstated.

The new SEPP recognises that the demand for retirement housing will grow significantly and seeks to create an environment that makes it easier to obtain planning consent for developments that meet this need, provided they comply with the detailed requirements. One interesting concept that is promoted is that of "Vertical Villages" - recognising the scarcity of suitable sites for retirement villages in metropolitan areas, and

Whether the new policy will have greater success of course remains to be seen. However it is a step in the right direction that the State Government has attempted this change.