Reference Data · New South Wales
Bega Valley Shire DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Bega Valley Development Control Plan 2013 (as amended August 2024) — Section 3 Residential Development, 3.2 General Requirements. As at 2026-08-29.
NSW has no statewide dwelling setback or site-coverage standard. The LEP sets zone, height and FSR; the numbers that shape a build sit in each council's DCP — here, the 6 that Bega Valley Shire publishes numerically. Anything its DCP assesses on merit rather than a fixed number is absent from this table: not a zero, and not a permission.
Bega Valley Shire — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 5 m | R2/RU5 front setback is lot-size tiered (Table 3.2): 350–550m² = 4.5m OR average of the 2 nearest dwellings within 40m on the same side of the road (capped at 6m); 550–900m² = 5m OR the average distance between the two nearest dwellings; 900m²+ = 6m OR the average of the two nearest dwellings. Battle-axe lots: 3m from the rear boundary of the lot in front. Recorded value (5m) is the 550–900m² standard-lot tier ("prevailing line or Xm" formula). |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 4 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 15% | deep-soil requirement applies |
| Private open space | 50 m² | — |
Source: Bega Valley Development Control Plan 2013 (as amended August 2024) — Section 3 Residential Development, 3.2 General Requirements. Clauses: 3.2.1.1 Building Footprint; 3.2.2.2 Open Space; 3.2.2.7 Setbacks (Table 3.2); 3.2.3.2 Landscaping; Table 3.3 Summary of Requirements. Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Bega Valley Shire’s low-density residential zone. Do not apply these figures to a dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development — those are set out separately. See the dual occupancy controls below.
What qualifies these Bega Valley Shire controls?
- SITE COVERAGE: not a DCP numeric control. Building bulk/footprint is governed by Floor Space Ratio in Bega Valley LEP 2013 cl 4.4/4.5 (§3.2.1.1 states 'You will need to calculate the floor space ratio ... detailed under Clause 4.4 and 4.5 of the LEP'). No site-coverage % stated in the DCP.
- SETBACKS ARE LOT-SIZE TIERED (Table 3.2, R2 Low Density / RU5 Village): Front 4.5m (350–550m²) / 5m (550–900m²) / 6m (900m²+), each 'or the average of the nearest dwellings'. Secondary/corner frontage 2m (350–550m²) / 3m (≥550m²). Rear 4m (≤900m²) / 5m (900m²+), increasing to 8m (≤900m²) / 12m (900m²+) where the building is higher than 4.5m. Recorded front/secondary/rear values are the 550–900m² single-storey standard case.
- SIDE SETBACK IS STOREY-BASED (not lot-based): R2 single storey 0.9m (900mm), R2 two-storey 1.8m, R2 three-storey 2.5m; RU5 zone 2m. Recorded 0.9m = R2 single-storey base case. Minor building elements (garages/outbuildings) may vary on merit.
- LANDSCAPING (§3.2.3.2): deep soil zones equal to 15% of the site area, each deep soil zone min dimension 4m, at least 50% located behind the front building line, min two zones nominated. Landscaped_flat_pct=15 recorded as a deep-soil requirement.
- PRIVATE OPEN SPACE (§3.2.2.2 / Table 3.3): dwelling house at ground level = min 50m², min dimension 3m. Smaller minimums (25–35m²) apply only to multi dwelling housing / residential flat buildings, NOT dwelling houses, so no small-site reduction recorded for the dwelling-house case.
- Front-setback encroachments: entry feature/portico, balcony/deck/pergola/verandah, bay/box window, awning, sun-shade, eave may encroach up to 1.5m into the front setback for up to 25% of the front elevation width (§3.2.2.7).
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Bega Valley Shire DCP data?
These values were extracted from the source DCP and then independently checked against it — one of 29 of 93 councils on this site verified that way. This is a different and lower tier of confidence than our Victorian zone schedules, which are read and verified from the source planning scheme by a person. We do not present the two as equivalent.
A council's DCP can be amended at any time and this page reflects the document as at 2026-08-29. Where a control is absent above, the DCP either sets no number or assesses that parameter on merit.
This information is provided for research and preliminary screening only. It does not constitute professional planning, legal or architectural advice. Always verify with Bega Valley Shire before making decisions.
Bega Valley Shire dual occupancy (duplex) controls
This DCP does not set a separate control set for a dual occupancy — its residential controls apply to dwelling houses and dual occupancies alike, so the figures below are the dual-occupancy figures. The qualifying test (minimum lot size) sits in the LEP, not here.
| Control | Dual occupancy | vs dwelling house |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 5 m | not overridden — inherits |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | not overridden — inherits |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | not overridden — inherits |
| Rear setback | 4 m | not overridden — inherits |
| Landscaped area | 15% | not overridden — inherits |
| Private open space | 50 m² | not overridden — inherits |
Bega Valley's DCP does not set a separate control set for dual occupancy. Its residential controls apply to dwelling houses and dual occupancies alike — the private open space table names both in one row — so the figures above ARE the dual-occupancy figures.
Source: Bega Valley Development Control Plan 2013 (as amended August 2024) — Section 3 Residential Development. Clauses: 3.2 General Requirements; private open space table (Dwelling house, dual occupancies, secondary dwelling, attached and semi-detached dwellings); note under 3.2.1.3 referring dual occupancy requirements to LEP Clause 4.1B. Open the source DCP part.
- THE CONTROLS ARE THE SAME. Unlike councils whose DCP has a specific land-use part that overrides the base controls, Bega Valley applies one set of residential controls to both uses. The private open space table lists 'Dwelling house, dual occupancies, secondary dwelling, attached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings' as a single row at 50 m² with a minimum dimension of 3 m.
- ⚠️ THE QUALIFYING TEST IS IN THE LEP, NOT THE DCP. The DCP states that the specific requirements for dual occupancy development in the RU5, R2, R3 and B4 zones are detailed under Clause 4.1B of the Bega Valley LEP — that is where the minimum lot size for a dual occupancy sits. Feasibly does not codify LEP minimum lot sizes for dual occupancy, and they vary spatially within an LGA, so check Clause 4.1B for the parcel.
- The same row also covers SECONDARY DWELLINGS, so the 50 m² private open space minimum applies to a granny flat as well.
Bega Valley Shire planning controls — common questions
Do these Bega Valley Shire controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
In Bega Valley Shire, yes — the DCP applies one set of residential controls to dwelling houses and dual occupancies alike, so the figures on this page are the dual-occupancy figures too. What it does not tell you is whether the site qualifies: the minimum lot size for a dual occupancy sits in the LEP, not the DCP. Source: Bega Valley Development Control Plan 2013 (as amended August 2024) — Section 3 Residential Development.
Which zone do these Bega Valley Shire controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Bega Valley Shire’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Bega Valley Shire LEP actually contains. This page presents the low-density residential case; some DCP sections also cover other residential zones, and the source above names the zones it applies to.
What planning controls does Bega Valley Shire publish for dwellings?
Bega Valley Shire publishes 6 dwelling controls in Bega Valley Development Control Plan 2013 (as amended August 2024) — Section 3 Residential Development, 3.2 General Requirements: front setback, secondary street setback, side setback, rear setback, landscaped area, private open space. Each value and its clause reference is listed on this page, as at 2026-08-29.
Does NSW have a statewide dwelling setback standard?
No. The Local Environmental Plan sets zone, building height and floor space ratio, but the numbers that shape a dwelling — setbacks, site coverage, landscaped area and private open space — sit in each council’s Development Control Plan. That is why these figures are published per council rather than per state.
How reliable are these Bega Valley Shire figures?
These values were extracted from Bega Valley Development Control Plan 2013 (as amended August 2024) — Section 3 Residential Development, 3.2 General Requirements and then independently re-checked against it, one of 29 of 93 councils on this site verified that way. They remain screening grade: read the clause before relying on it.
Do these controls apply to every property in Bega Valley Shire?
No. These are the council-wide published figures for low-density residential — dwelling houses. The zone, any overlays and the consent triggers that actually apply depend on the individual parcel, and a control absent from this page means the DCP either sets no number or assesses that parameter on merit — not that the requirement is zero.
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