It is all up to the council approval process. Our strata has just gone thru this with a nearby development.
The owner of the area wishing to build the townhouses will have to submit documents to council for approval. We had to ensure as many people affected by the development made submissions raising any issues they had with the proposed development. In your submission you can raise undertakings or changes that need to be made to alleviate problems.
If no one raises issues/concerns the council will just rubber stamp the development. Contact your council to find out relevant dates to comment.