Reference Data · New South Wales
Camden DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
7 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Camden Development Control Plan 2019 — Part 4: Residential Dwelling Controls (Section 4.2 Dwelling Houses). As at 2026-08-05.
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. Below are the 7 controls Camden publishes numerically. Anything its DCP assesses on merit rather than a fixed number is simply absent from this table — it is not a zero, and it is not a permission.
Camden Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | Primary control is the prevailing/average setback of the two nearest dwellings on the same side of the street. Lot-size minimums from primary road: ≤900m² = 4.5m; >900m²–1,500m² = 6.5m; >1,500m² = 10m. A reduced 3.5m front setback applies where the lot fronts an access-denied street or open space (incl. battle-axe lots). Value recorded (4.5m) is the ≤900m² minimum. |
| Secondary street setback | 2 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 4 m | — |
| Site coverage | 60% ≤450 m² → 50% | — |
| Landscaped area | 30% | — |
| Private open space | 24 m² | — |
Source: Camden Development Control Plan 2019 — Part 4: Residential Dwelling Controls (Section 4.2 Dwelling Houses). Clauses: 4.2.4 Setbacks (Table 4-2); 4.2.5 Height, Site Coverage and Siting (Table 4-3); 4.2.6 Landscaped Area; 4.2.7 Principal Private Open Space (Table 4-4). Open the source DCP.
Qualifications that change how these read
- Applies to dwelling houses in R1/R2/R3/R5/C4 zones (Part 4 §4.2 Dwelling Houses).
- Site coverage is per-storey: <450m² single storey ≤60%, two storey ≤50% ground / ≤35% upper; ≥450m² single storey ≤50%, two storey ≤50% ground / ≤30% upper. Recorded tiers use the single-storey maximum.
- Rear setback: single storey 4m; two-storey component 6m. Rear lane setback (min) 1m, reducible to 0.5m in stated cases.
- Front setback minimum varies by lot area (≤900m² 4.5m / >900–1,500m² 6.5m / >1,500m² 10m); 3.5m where lot fronts access-denied street or open space.
- PPOS varies by lot width, not lot area: lot width ≤10m ≥16m²; lot width >10m ≥24m² (recorded pos_min_sqm=24 is the standard >10m case). Direct sunlight must reach at least 50% of PPOS.
- Landscaped area: also min 40% of the front setback (measured from building line) must be landscaped; areas less than 1.5m wide excluded; synthetic/artificial grass excluded. Control is 'landscaped area' (deep-soil planting noted as an objective, not a separate numeric minimum).
- Height: max two storeys, consistent with Camden LEP 2010 (9.5m).
How this was compiled, and how far to trust it
These values were extracted from the source DCP and then independently checked against it — one of 28 of 86 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 2026-08-05. 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 Camden Council before making decisions.
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