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I suspect you come from a generation where your family home cost a fraction of what just the blocks surrounding you cost today. You come from a generation where people had different needs. You come from a generation where the population of the city you live in was a quarter of what it is today.
Councils set up regs so that people can all build and live within a defined set of rules. It's those rules that intend to keep people like you from making arbitrary complaints and delaying others from a) making a living (the builder) and b) living (the home owner).
Privacy is important, but in today's urban sprawl and increasing density, the level of privacy has changed. This is something that no one individual has any power over. Back in your day I suspect building a custom home was no more expensive than any other type. I suspect that's all there was. Now the price differences between custom homes that could take into considderation the neighbours privacy over aNd above the regulations start at 2x the price of an equivalent volume builder home. It's not always in the home owners budget to make such considderAtions. Builders are given terms to work within and that's what they do. Since the mining boom wound down, the housing boom has been propping up our economy. This is facilitated by fairly standard and common regulations across jurisdictions that help builders get in and out and paid.
You have a fairly old school attitude to this it appears, and its your right, but You are an excellent example of an individual who is stuck in a frame of mind that expired many moons ago. Paradoxically, change is a constant. Accepting this is the key to not becoming bitter and twisted when people around you do things differently then "back in your day".
Have a cup of tea and let it go.