Reference Data · New South Wales
Bellingen Shire DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
5 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Bellingen Shire Development Control Plan 2017 — Chapter 1: Single Dwellings. 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 5 that Bellingen 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.
Bellingen Shire — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | R1 zoned land: 4.5 metres or the average setback of the two nearest dwellings, whichever is greater. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 10% ≤300 m² → 15% ≤450 m² → 20% ≤600 m² → 30% ≤900 m² → 40% ≤1500 m² → 45% | — |
| Private open space | 24 m² | — |
Source: Bellingen Shire Development Control Plan 2017 — Chapter 1: Single Dwellings. Clauses: 1.6.1 (Table 1.1 Setback Requirements), 1.6.5 (Landscaping), 1.6.7 (Private open space). Open the source DCP.
Scope: R1 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R1, Bellingen 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 assessed under different standards, which Feasibly has not codified.
What qualifies these Bellingen Shire controls?
- Bellingen LEP 2010 uses R1 General Residential as its residential zone (there is no R2 in Bellingen); the recorded values are the 'R1 zoned land' row of Table 1.1, which is the standard low-density residential dwelling-house case.
- Front setback (R1) is '4.5 metres OR the average setback of the two nearest dwellings, whichever is greater' — 4.5m recorded as the stated numeric minimum.
- Side setback (R1) is '900mm from the wall and 450mm from eaves gutter to the boundary' — recorded side_setback_m = 0.9 (wall). Council may consider written variation requests to side setbacks only, on merit (BCA compliance, no significant adverse bulk/overshadowing/ventilation/noise/privacy impact).
- Rear boundary setback for R1 is shown as '-' in Table 1.1 (no numeric rear setback specified for the R1 residential zone); rear_setback_m left null. R5 rear = 5m, rural/environmental rear = 10m.
- Landscaped-area tiers apply to lots of at least 200m2; lots below 200m2 are not addressed by the table. The percentage INCREASES with lot area (10%→45%), i.e. this is a minimum landscaped-area control, monotonic as expected.
- Landscaping control is titled 'landscaped area' (aims include rainwater infiltration and deep-rooted vegetation) but is not explicitly labelled 'deep soil' or 'permeable'; landscaped_deep_soil set false.
- Private open space: minimum 24m2, minimum length and width 4m, max grade 12.5%. Steep-site alternative is a balcony/deck of not less than 10m2 with minimum dimension 2.5m — this is a grade/steepness alternative, NOT a small-lot-area reduction, so pos_small_site fields left null.
- No site-coverage percentage is specified in Chapter 1 — building bulk is instead controlled by a Building Height Plane Envelope (35-degree plane from 3m at the boundary up to a maximum 10m above natural ground level). All site_coverage fields left null.
- DCP 2017 adopted 22 November 2017, commenced 6 December 2017 (replaced DCP 2010); current per Bellingen Shire Council website.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Bellingen 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 Bellingen Shire before making decisions.
Bellingen Shire planning controls — common questions
Do these Bellingen Shire controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Bellingen Shire’s dwelling-house controls. A dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development is assessed under different standards — Feasibly has not codified those, so do not apply the numbers above to one.
Which zone do these Bellingen Shire controls apply to?
R1 General Residential — Bellingen Shire’s low-density residential zone. Bellingen Shire Development Control Plan 2017 — Chapter 1: Single Dwellings states this directly. 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 Bellingen Shire publish for dwellings?
Bellingen Shire publishes 5 dwelling controls in Bellingen Shire Development Control Plan 2017 — Chapter 1: Single Dwellings: front setback, secondary street setback, side 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 Bellingen Shire figures?
These values were extracted from Bellingen Shire Development Control Plan 2017 — Chapter 1: Single Dwellings 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 Bellingen 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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