Three proposed housing developments in Byron Bay have been deemed state significant. (ABC North Coast: Emma Rennie)
Byron Bay is fighting to save its skyline with a number of proposed developments in breach of height limits.
Byron Shire Mayor Sarah Ndiaye says councils are being stripped of their planning powers.
The NSW Planning Department is assessing three projects deemed to be state significant.
For decades the Byron Bay community has fought against high-rise development that would change the skyline of the beloved beachside town.
But there is growing concern that developers have found a way around local planning restrictions designed to limit building heights to a maximum of 11.5 metres.
Three new projects have been deemed to be of state significance, meaning they will be considered by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) rather than the Byron Shire Council.
Mayor Sarah Ndiaye told ABC North Coast Breakfast the DPIE could override the council's development control plan.
"[It's] felt like I've been screaming into the wind about this for some time," she said.
"I don't think people are aware of what kind of change we're starting to see.
"These are bigger developments, and they're able to bypass council and council laws and the community conversation that happens with these buildings."
Sarah Ndiaye says community consultation is bypassed in the process. (ABC News)
The development applications causing most concern are in or close to the town centre.
One on the town's main street, Jonson Street, proposes approximately 160 residential apartments across three levels above a supermarket and retail shops, with a height of 16 metres.
Another on the same street proposes a height of 21 metres to accommodate up to 50 apartments and retail spaces.
