Medium Density Design Guidelines
Tasmania is facing a critical need for more diverse housing options. Currently, almost 90 per cent of the state’s housing stock consists of single detached dwellings, limiting housing choices for a growing and changing population.
The Medium Density Design Guidelines have been developed as a non-statutory, advisory document to support the delivery of high-quality, well-designed and located medium-density housing in Tasmania.
Medium-density housing — such as terraces, townhouses, and low- to mid-rise apartments — can provide greater housing diversity, improve affordability, and help revitalise urban areas, and draw on existing infrastructure, limiting the need for new infrastructure.
The guidelines offer practical advice on site planning, building design, streetscape integration, environmental sustainability, and liveability to assist developers, planners, architects, and the broader community deliver better housing outcomes for Tasmania.
The guidelines are available to download at the following link.
Frequently Asked Questions
How were the guidelines developed?
The Medium Density Design Guidelines were developed as part of the 30-Year Greater Hobart Plan. They were developed by ERA Planning & Environment in collaboration with urban design experts, planners, architects, and the community.
This included a public consultation period that was held from July to September 2024 to gather feedback from industry professionals, local councils, and the public.
The feedback received informed the review, amendment and improvement of the guidelines. A Consultation Report (PDF 479.6 KB), which outlines the feedback received and the changes made is available, along with the public submissions (PDF 8.0 MB) received.
Download the Consultation Report (PDF 479.6 KB)
Download the Public Submissions (PDF 8.0 MB)
The guidelines will be reviewed periodically to align with Tasmania’s evolving land use planning system and ensure best-practice urban design continues to shape our cities, towns and urban environments.
Why does Tasmania need Medium Density Design Guidelines?
Design guidelines for housing and urban development are used across Australia and globally to define and encourage high-quality design that is appropriately tailored to the local urban context, including existing character and heritage. These factors are important here too.
They are important strategic documents for setting an agreed understanding of desired design standards across the community and the development industry. Ideally, they encourage design that aspires to exceed minimum requirements and set new benchmarks for high-quality and locally appropriate design.
Are the guidelines applicable statewide?
Yes. While the guidelines were developed under the 30-Year Greater Hobart Plan, they are intended to be applicable to cities, towns and urban areas across Tasmania.
Are the guidelines a regulatory document?
No, the guidelines are advisory only and do not form a formal part of the rules and expectations outlined in the Tasmanian Planning Scheme
Are there any related projects?
The Tasmanian Government is supporting increased density through initiatives such as the Density Incentive Grant Scheme, which provides $10,000 per dwelling for eligible medium and high-density housing projects.
The guidelines will also help to inform the Improving Residential Standards in Tasmania Project, which is investigating improvements to all urban residential use and development standards in the State Planning Provisions (SPPs) as part of their statutory review.
The Improving Residential Standards in Tasmania Recommendations Report, Fact Sheets and more information on the project is available at: Improving Residential Standards. This includes recommendations for medium density residential development such as apartments.
Why does Tasmania need more medium density housing?
Tasmania currently has the lowest proportion of multiple-dwelling housing in Australia, with only 13 per cent of all dwellings being anything other than a detached house, compared to an average of 30 per cent for the rest of Australia.
Increasing the proportion of medium density dwellings in suitable areas will increase Tasmania’s housing diversity, providing more housing options to better suit the varied needs of households at all life-stages, whether they are homeowners or renters.
What are the benefits of increased housing density in key urban areas?
There are multiple benefits associated with increased uptake of infill medium density housing close to existing activity centres and transport corridors, such as:
- reduced infrastructure and service provision costs
- shorter travel distances to employment, shops, schools and health services
- better access to more frequent public transport services and opportunities for active transport
- enhanced economic viability of existing business zones and more local employment
- reduced environmental impact including lower greenhouse gas emissions
- more efficient use of underutilised land
- increased opportunities for social interaction, relationship building, community connections, personal security and ‘living locally’.