Reference Data · New South Wales
Clarence Valley DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Clarence Valley Development Control Plan 2011 — Residential Zones DCP (Part C: General Development Controls for Residential Zones). 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 Clarence Valley 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.
Clarence Valley Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 6 m | Front setback 6 m in R1/R2/R3 (C16.2). C17 requires new development to complement the existing (uniform or varied) street setback pattern; front-setback variation considered on merit. |
| Secondary street setback | 3.5 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 45% | — |
| Private open space | 50 m² | — |
Source: Clarence Valley Development Control Plan 2011 — Residential Zones DCP (Part C: General Development Controls for Residential Zones). Clauses: C16.2 + Table C5 (setbacks), C16.5 (secondary frontage setback), C19.1 (landscaped area R1/R2), C20.2 (private open space). Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Clarence Valley’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 Clarence Valley controls?
- Side & rear setback is HEIGHT-tiered, not lot-area tiered (Table C5, C16.2): building height up to 6.5 m -> 0.9 m; over 6.5-9 m -> 1.5 m; over 9-12 m -> 3 m. Recorded side/rear = 0.9 m is the standard single-storey (<=6.5 m) case; setbacks increase with building height.
- Front setback 6 m (C16.2). C17 requires new development to complement the prevailing (uniform or varied) street setback pattern; variations considered on merit.
- NO numeric site-coverage control in the DCP for dwelling houses — 'site coverage' appears only as a CV LEP 2011 dictionary definition. site_coverage fields left null.
- Landscaped area = minimum 45% of site area for R1 AND R2 Low Density Residential (C19.1). It is a landscaped-area (soft-landscaping, excludes buildings/hard-paved) requirement, not labelled deep-soil/permeable; effluent disposal areas may be counted. R3 Medium Density = 35% (not the low-density case).
- Private open space (C20.2): min 50 m2 in one parcel, min dimension 4.5 m, behind the front setback, on the northern/eastern side, with direct access to living areas. Secondary dwellings get a reduced 24 m2 (min dimension 4 m) — a different dwelling type, not a small-lot reduction, so pos_small_site fields left null.
- Zero side setback (C18) permitted for garages/carports and similar where the boundary wall is <=7 m long. R5 Large Lot Residential (not low-density R2): front 10 m, side/rear 3 m (C16.3).
- Document header states 'Residential Zones DCP in force from 23 December 2011'; PDF is the 29 July 2022 amended version served from the council's current DCP path.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Clarence Valley 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 Clarence Valley Council before making decisions.
Clarence Valley planning controls — common questions
Do these Clarence Valley controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Clarence Valley’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 Clarence Valley controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Clarence Valley’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Clarence Valley 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 Clarence Valley Council publish for dwellings?
Clarence Valley Council publishes 6 dwelling controls in Clarence Valley Development Control Plan 2011 — Residential Zones DCP (Part C: General Development Controls for Residential Zones): 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 Clarence Valley figures?
These values were extracted from Clarence Valley Development Control Plan 2011 — Residential Zones DCP (Part C: General Development Controls for Residential Zones) 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 Clarence Valley?
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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