New South Wales Design Competition Guidelines

Previously, the 2011 Director General’s Design Excellence Guidelines provided limited detail on key aspects of the required competition processes. GANSW had received feedback from industry that some design teams were not being paid fairly to participate in competitions, while others were asked to submit excessive design submissions in unreasonable timeframes. In exceptional cases, design teams were not paid. These issues caused negative perceptions and reduced industry confidence in design competitions as a well-tested and proven procurement model. It was also affecting the health and wellbeing of the design industry that participated in competitions.

In 2018, GANSW prepared updated draft competition guidelines that were publicly exhibited and tested by industry, councils, and state agencies on more than 75 design competitions between 2018 and 2023. GANSW also established the ’Design Competition Round Table’ to bring together Local Council competition teams to discuss the new guidelines while they were under development. This forum continues to meet every two months, allowing participants to share knowledge and work through the implementation of the Guidelines. The new guidelines apply across all relevant NSW jurisdictions (excluding the City of Sydney who continued to operate under their existing policy).

Since September 2023, the Guidelines have supported over 33 design competition processes across NSW, with a combined value of $15B, delivering 13,000 new homes, including approximately 5000 affordable, social and build-to-rent homes. The Guidelines have been well received across industry, and facilitate consistent, fair and successful competition processes. The Guidelines allow design teams to focus their time and energy on innovative outcomes. They support architects and designers, both locally and internationally, to participate in competitions, sustain their practices and maintain their team’s wellbeing, while delivering ‘design excellence’ for the community, through the delivery of buildings and public spaces across NSW.

In order to give legal effect to the Guidelines, GANSW implemented a self-repealing State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) to update the 17 relevant environmental planning instruments to the define a ‘competitive design process’ as: ‘a design competition held in accordance with the 2023 Design Competition Guidelines published by the Department in September 2023’ The SEPP was published by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces in December 2023, and elevated the status of the Guidelines as NSW Planning Policy, and removed any references to older policies that are no longer in effect. To celebrate the launch of the Guidelines and explore the principles of the guide, GANSW hosted an online webinar where further information on how to implement the guide was provided, including an expert panel discussion and interactive Q&A session. Over 150 industry professionals from the public and private sector attended the online webinar with 85% providing feedback that the webinar met or exceeded their expectations.