Blog

1. Introduction

Australia is experiencing significant demographic change.

• 21.4% of the population lives with disability

• 17.1% is aged 65 and over

• By 2050, around half of Australians are expected to live in strata housing

At the same time, many people with disability rely on the private housing market due to

limited access to social housing. Approximately 96% live in private dwellings, with a growing proportion in apartment buildings.

In Greater Western Sydney, around 5.8% of residents require assistance with core activities.

These trends highlight an urgent need to ensure that the housing stock is adaptable, inclusive, and future-ready.

Despite this, a significant portion of adaptable apartment units remains effectively invisible within planning systems and the property market.

2. Understanding Adaptable Housing

2.1 What is an Adaptable Dwelling?

Adaptable housing is based on a life-course approach. These dwellings are not fully accessible at the outset but are designed so they can be modified later with minimal structural change.

This enables:

• Ageing in place 

• Reduced retrofit costs 

• Continuity of social and community connections 

In Australia, adaptable housing is guided by AS 4299, which classifies dwellings into three levels (A–C), with Level A representing the highest standard of adaptability.

However, current standards referenced in planning controls are outdated and do not fully align with newer accessibility benchmarks such as AS 1428.1:2021.

2.2 Adaptable Housing in the Current Planning Context

In NSW, two key design approaches operate in parallel:

1. Adaptable Housing (AS 4299) 

• Required by many councils (typically 10–15% of units) 

• Focused on future adaptability 

2. Liveable Housing Design Standards (LHDS – Silver Level) 

• Introduced through the National Construction Code 

• Provides baseline accessibility, but with limitations (e.g. insufficient space for full wheelchair use) 

In addition, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) serves a small proportion of people with high support needs.

While LHDS improves baseline accessibility, it does not replace the long-term flexibility offered by well-designed adaptable dwellings. The two approaches are often treated as substitutes, when in reality they serve different and complementary roles.

3. The Data Gap and Market Failure

Despite widespread planning requirements, adaptable housing remains poorly documented and undervalued.

Key Issues

• No centralised register
  Local councils do not systematically track adaptable units once constructed

• No market visibility
  Buyers, tenants, and valuers often cannot identify adaptable dwellings

• No valuation recognition
  The long-term value of adaptability is rarely reflected in property pricing

• Limited national data
  Census and housing datasets do not capture adaptability as a dwelling characteristic

As a result, thousands of adaptable apartments across Greater Western Sydney exist as a hidden layer of housing supply, with significant untapped social and economic value.

4. Policy Implications

Current NSW policy settings rely on a combination of:

• Local planning controls requiring adaptable units

• Voluntary or partially implemented livable housing standards

• Market-led delivery of accessible housing

This creates several challenges:

• Developers may defer the cost of accessibility to future occupants

• Councils rely on outdated standards and inconsistent tracking

• The market lacks incentives to deliver higher-quality adaptable housing

Without stronger alignment, the system will continue to produce housing that is only partially accessible and not future-ready.

5. Priority Actions 

To unlock the full value of adaptable housing, a more coordinated approach is required.

1. Recognise and Value Adaptable Housing

Adaptable units should be acknowledged as a premium housing product, reflecting their role in:

• Supporting ageing in place

• Reducing future retrofit costs

• Expanding disability-inclusive housing supply

2. Establish Public Registers

Local councils should maintain accessible, standardised registers of adaptable dwellings, including:

• Location and classification level

• Pre- and post-adaptation plans

3. Improve Access to Design Information

Strata bodies, owners, and future occupants should be able to access:

• Original design documentation

• Adaptation pathways

This will enable efficient and cost-effective retrofitting over time.

4. Align Policy and Data Systems

State and national systems should better integrate:

• Planning controls

• Building standards

• Housing datasets

This would allow adaptable housing to be properly measured, valued, and scaled.

🔗 Related: Circular Economy

Conclusion

Adaptable apartment units represent a critical but overlooked opportunity within Australia’s housing system.

In Greater Western Sydney, where population growth, housing demand, and social diversity intersect, the ability to deliver inclusive, flexible housing is particularly important.

By improving how adaptable dwellings are documented, valued, and integrated into policy frameworks, governments and industry can unlock a more resilient and equitable housing future.

The challenge is not just to build more housing but to ensure the housing we build today can meet the needs of tomorrow.

About the Author

Dr Jeeva Sajan is a researcher and practitioner specialising in housing, planning, and inclusive design, with a focus on adaptable housing and policy systems.

About GWSAN

The Greater Western Sydney Advocacy Network (GWSAN) is a spatial justice and regional equity organisation focused on systems-level reform across housing, transport, and urban development.

Our current work includes three practical streams:

Better Planning for Western Sydney White Paper

Developing practical recommendations on housing, infrastructure and fair growth.

NSW Government Community Participation Plan

Exploring how engagement can be clearer, earlier and more meaningful.

Orchard Hills Project

Using a live growth area to examine how land use, transport and place outcomes can better align.

These are not separate issues.

They are connected and should be planned that way.

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