Topic
Planning & zoning
LEPs, DCPs, height limits, FSR, complying development, and the rules that decide what you can build.
13 articles
How to check a property's zoning and what you can build
How to find a property's zone and the controls that decide what you can build — height, floor space ratio, setbacks and lot size — for any Australian address.
Why the transport noise corridor overlay matters more than most buyers realise
What the noise overlay actually controls, the $30 to $50k typical compliance cost, the permanent resale discount, and the three questions to ask before
Complying development. What the 12 conditions actually require.
Complying development sounds like a fast track. It is, but only if you meet all 12 conditions. Miss one and you are in a full development application
Site coverage. The second number that limits your footprint.
FSR caps the floors. Site coverage caps the footprint. The two together decide whether you can build a courtyard, a two-storey, or just a sprawling
Why the same zone code means different things in different councils
R2 Low Density Residential in Mosman is not R2 Low Density Residential in Penrith. The zone code is identical. The LEP underneath is not.
Subdivision potential. The 4 tests every lot must pass.
Minimum lot size. Minimum frontage. Servicing capacity. Access. Pass all four and your council will subdivide your lot. Fail any one and the project is dead.
Permissible with consent vs without consent. Two phrases that sound alike and mean different things.
With consent you need a DA. Without consent you just need to comply. Many uses sit at the boundary, and the boundary moves with each LEP update.
Granny flats. The SEPP that lets you bypass council in NSW.
NSW's Housing SEPP 2021 allows a granny flat up to 60 square metres on any lot over 450 square metres without a full DA.
Tree preservation orders. What you cannot cut and what it costs if you do.
Brisbane's protected trees include any native species above 4 metres or 40 centimetres trunk diameter. Removal without permit, $1,565 fine per tree plus
The 60-second LEP read. What to look for first.
Open the LEP. Find the land-use table. Find your zone. Find the maximum-height map. Find the FSR map. Four documents in 60 seconds gets you 80 percent
QLD planning scheme vs NSW LEP. Same principles, different vocabulary.
Same constraints, different words. A side-by-side translator for buyers moving between Queensland and New South Wales, or investors operating in both.
Renovate or knockdown rebuild. The decision framework in 2027.
The renovate vs knockdown rebuild decision depends on dwelling condition, planning controls, and budget. The framework, with the cost numbers for 2027.
State-by-state permissibility. How NSW, VIC, QLD residential zoning compares.
Australian residential zoning operates differently in each state. The substantive comparison of NSW, VIC, and QLD residential zone provisions for typical