HIA and Tasmania’s 90sqm Proposal: Coverage and Definition Concerns

HIA welcomed Tasmania’s 90sqm secondary residence proposal and asked for further changes to site coverage and the dwelling definition. Updated 3 October 2026. The association’s position is advocacy within an assessment process, not a new permission to build a larger dwelling.

HIA published its statement on 22 July 2026. The Commission record labels the association’s representation 2 July. Those are different source dates; neither should be presented as the commencement date of a planning rule.

What HIA asked the government to reconsider

The HIA statement supports the larger floor-area allowance but argues that site-coverage limits could restrict its usefulness. It also questions the proposed requirement that a secondary residence be subordinate to the main dwelling.

Those points concern how several controls interact. Increasing one allowance does not necessarily create a larger buildable envelope on every lot. A proposed design still needs to be assessed against all provisions that apply to the address.

We have removed the earlier unsupported claim that HIA sought particular NSW and Victorian coverage ratios. Read the association’s own statement and representation for its actual position rather than a general comparison between state systems.

Where the assessment stands

The Commission’s AM-SPP-01-2026 record contains the draft, representations and later procedural documents. At our October check, its decision section did not contain a published decision.

Follow that record for the assessment outcome and check any resulting commencement information before relying on revised controls. A supplier announcement or industry endorsement cannot establish the operative provisions for your application.

Our October assessment update distinguishes the current record from earlier forecast dates. The Tasmania rules guide provides the broader property-checking context.

What owners can usefully resolve now

Prepare the site information and intended-use brief for a planner. Ask which parts of the concept are feasible under operative rules and which depend on a future change. Keep those dependencies separate in any supplier proposal.

If you want a larger footprint, have the planner check site coverage and the available building envelope rather than considering floor area alone. Also identify access, service connections and the outdoor-space needs of the main dwelling. Those practical questions remain relevant whatever the assessment outcome.

Don’t make a non-refundable design or production commitment on the assumption that an advocacy request will be adopted. Ask what changes or cancellation arrangements the contract allows if the proposed scheme is altered. More dated coverage is available in the planning news hub.

By The Granny Flat Guide Team. Last updated October 2026. About our research · Project budget calculator