Changes to planning rules in New South Wales by Planning Minister Rob Stokes mean councils can no longer reject apartment plans on the basis of being too small. Stokes will today publish a long-overdue revision of the SEPP65 rules, introduced in 2002, that states minimum sizes as outlined by the state government override the stipulations of local councils, and that a council cannot use size as a reason to reject an application.

Many of the state's 152 local councils accept the minimum sizes confirmed by the NSW government last month, but some argued they would reject proposals with smaller apartments than they sought to encourage in their local areas. The minimum sizes are 35 square metres for studios, 50 square metres for one bedroom apartments and 70 square metres for two bedroom apartments. 

The revision confirms the role of architects as the sole practitioners who can verify buildings, meaning building designers cannot verify buildings as conforming to the guidelines.

"For too long residential flats were stigmatized as a lesser style of living," Stokes said, The Australian Financial Review reported. "New apartment design is about supporting the benefits this popular style of housing can provide."