Shellharbour City Council is progressing its proposed Tiny Homes Pilot Program, with the next stage of planning now moving to public exhibition.
Caption: Mayor Chris Homer inside a mobile tiny home. Image courtesy of Shellharbour City Council.
The Tiny Homes Pilot is a proposed two year trial to remove the need for a development application for mobile tiny homes used as rental accommodation in Shellharbour.
Mobile tiny homes are small, moveable dwellings built on trailers that can be registered as a vehicle under the Road Transport Act 2013. The proposed trial aims to support local renters by providing a more flexible and lower cost housing option, while ensuring appropriate safety and planning controls.
The exhibition follows the NSW Government issuing a Gateway Determination for Council's Planning Proposal. A Gateway Determination is a key step in the planning process that allows a proposal to move forward for further review and community feedback, and signals in principle support for the proposed trial.
At this stage, the pilot has not been approved and no tiny homes can be installed under the proposal.
Mayor Chris Homer said moving to public exhibition was an important step in progressing the pilot.
"This project is about responding to the very real housing pressures people in our community are facing, while making sure any changes are carefully considered and well managed," Mayor Homer said.
"The Gateway Determination shows there is support to explore this idea, and now it is time for our community to review the detail and tell us what they think."
Any mobile tiny home installed under the proposed changes would need to comply with a range of requirements, including minimum setbacks, connection to essential services, fire safety measures and construction standards.
The Planning Proposal and Local Approvals Policy are on public exhibition from 9 April to 8 May 2026, with written submissions accepted until 4.30pm on 22 May 2026, in line with legislative requirements.
Following the exhibition, Council will review all submissions before reporting back to Council for consideration. The pilot cannot proceed unless the proposed changes are formally adopted.
Community members can view the exhibition documents at: Public Exhibition | Shellharbour Council(Opens in a new window).
KEY MESSAGES:
Council is progressing the proposed Tiny Homes Pilot Program and has reached the public exhibition stage.
The proposed trial would run for two years and focus on mobile tiny homes used as rental accommodation.
The exhibition follows a Gateway Determination from the NSW Government and does not mean the pilot has commenced.
