The premier is facing a backlash from local councils, who argue they have not been provided with enough information about the changes.
Weeks before Christmas, the Labor government announced a major planning overhaul that included a goal of building 210,000 new dwellings near 40 current or future transport hubs in greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
The proposed precincts - including many in heritage-protected areas - will be subject to increased density.
Dual occupancies, such as duplexes, will also be allowed in all low-density residential areas, many of which are currently characterised by single homes on large blocks.
Chris Minns says councils will still be able to reject development proposals for valid reasons. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
Mr Minns insisted councils would still need to approve dual-occupancy requests, but they would not be able to enforce a "blanket ban" as was currently the case in some areas.
"You don't automatically have the right to put a dual occupancy (on your block) and the council still has to assess it," he told Sydney radio 2GB on Monday.
"(Council) could reject it on other grounds, for example, heritage or drainage or sewerage or maybe looking at traffic, but they can't put up spurious objections to it."
The premier said current policy settings meant NSW completed six new houses per 1000 people every year, compared to eight in Victoria and nine in Queensland, something he described as "intolerable".
"All restrictions are not being removed and councils still have the ability, in fact they've got the responsibility, to assess these things," he said.
"(Low-rise units) are all-but impossible to build in Sydney, except for (on) about seven per cent of the buildable land, and that's intolerable (because) we're not going to get housing supply up if we keep those rules."
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