Reference Data · New South Wales
Forbes Shire DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
4 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Forbes Development Control Plan 2013 (Version 2) — Chapter 5: Urban Residential Development (single detached 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 4 that Forbes 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.
Forbes Shire — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 6 m | Minimum building line 6m where an existing building line has not been established (Cl 5.6.1a). Increases with lot depth: 8m for lots >50m and <70m deep; 10m for lots >70m deep. Where an existing building line is established, that prevails. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 0.9 m | — |
Source: Forbes Development Control Plan 2013 (Version 2) — Chapter 5: Urban Residential Development (single detached dwellings). Clauses: 5.2, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7. Open the source DCP.
Scope: R1 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R1, Forbes Shire’s low-density residential zone. Do not apply these figures to a dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development — Forbes Development Control Plan 2013 (Version 2) — Chapter 5: Urban Residential Development (single detached dwellings) sets those out separately, and Feasibly has not codified them.
What qualifies these Forbes Shire controls?
- Forbes' urban residential zone is R1 Residential (Forbes LEP 2013); Forbes does NOT use R2 Low Density Residential. Chapter 5 applies to single detached dwellings in R1 Residential and R5 Large Lot Residential.
- No numeric site coverage, landscaped-area, or private-open-space standard is specified for single dwelling houses in Chapter 5. (Those controls appear only in Chapter 6 for multi-dwelling housing / dual occupancy / second dwellings — e.g. 50m2 private open space per dwelling — which is a different development type.)
- Front building line varies by lot DEPTH, not lot area: 6m default, 8m for lots >50m and <70m deep, 10m for lots >70m deep — each 'where an existing building line has not been established'; an established prevailing building line takes precedence.
- Side/rear boundary setback: 900mm single storey; 1500mm for a second storey (Cl 5.7.1-2). Both side and rear covered by the same 'side or rear boundary' clause, hence rear_setback_m also 0.9.
- Context (not extracted fields): max height 2 storeys / 8.5m (5.5); min lot 550m2 with 16.8m frontage, battle-axe 650m2 excluding access corridor (5.4); garages/outbuildings max 5.5m ridge, 500mm-1.5m boundary setback, max 125m2 floor area (5.18).
- Confirmed current: Forbes Shire Council's Local Planning Instruments page states Forbes has a single DCP — the 'Forbes Development Control Plan 2013' — complementing Forbes LEP 2013.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Forbes 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 Forbes Shire before making decisions.
Forbes Shire planning controls — common questions
Do these Forbes Shire controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Forbes Shire’s dwelling-house controls. A dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development is assessed under different standards, and Forbes Development Control Plan 2013 (Version 2) — Chapter 5: Urban Residential Development (single detached dwellings) states them separately — Feasibly has not codified those, so do not apply the numbers above to one.
Which zone do these Forbes Shire controls apply to?
R1 General Residential — Forbes Shire’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Forbes 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 Forbes Shire publish for dwellings?
Forbes Shire publishes 4 dwelling controls in Forbes Development Control Plan 2013 (Version 2) — Chapter 5: Urban Residential Development (single detached dwellings): front setback, secondary street setback, side setback, rear setback. 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 Forbes Shire figures?
These values were extracted from Forbes Development Control Plan 2013 (Version 2) — Chapter 5: Urban Residential Development (single detached 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 Forbes 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.
Check a specific address in Forbes Shire
These are the council-wide numbers. Zone, overlays and the consent triggers that actually apply depend on the parcel.
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