October 26, 2026 — 5:30am

Record numbers of planning disputes are being fought in court as developers increasingly challenge council decisions and communities find themselves caught in the middle of battles over what gets built in their suburbs.

A plan to demolish an affordable inner-Sydney boarding house for luxury homes, a coastal housing estates opposed by hundreds of residents, and a 20-storey Blacktown office tower by developer Bathla were among hundreds of developments approved by the NSW Land and Environment Court in 2025 after initially being refused by councils.

A concept image of a development approved by the court for 204 units across five buildings on Burelli Street in Wollongong.…