Reference Data · New South Wales
Georges River DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Georges River Development Control Plan 2021 — Part 6.1 Dwellings, Dual Occupancies (attached and detached), Secondary Dwellings and Narrow Lot Housing (Low Density), §6.1.2 Single Dwellings (Amendment No.6, 10 June 2024). 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 Georges River 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.
Georges River Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | 4.5m to the main building wall/façade; 5.5m to the front façade of a garage or carport (or at least 1m behind the main building wall, whichever is greater); where the prevailing street setback (average of the two adjoining properties on each side) exceeds the minimum, that average applies. |
| Secondary street setback | 1.2 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 6 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 20% | — |
| Private open space | 60 m² | — |
Source: Georges River Development Control Plan 2021 — Part 6.1 Dwellings, Dual Occupancies (attached and detached), Secondary Dwellings and Narrow Lot Housing (Low Density), §6.1.2 Single Dwellings (Amendment No.6, 10 June 2024). Clauses: DCP §6.1.2.3 (Setbacks) controls 1,3,4,5,7; §6.1.2.4 (Private Open Space) control 1; §6.1.2.5 (Landscaping) controls 1,4. Landscaped-area % taken from GRLEP 2021 cl 6.12(5), to which DCP §6.1.2.5 control 1 defers (https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/epi-2021-0587 s 6.12).. Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Georges River’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 Georges River controls?
- Current adopted version confirmed via the council DCP index page (georgesriver.nsw.gov.au/Development/Planning-Controls/Development-Control-Plans), which links this exact PDF as the effective 'GRDCP Part 6.1 – Low Density Residential Controls'. GRDCP 2021 became effective 8 Oct 2021; document footer = Amendment No.6, 10 June 2024.
- No site coverage or floor space ratio (FSR) control appears in the DCP — FSR is set by the GRLEP 2021, not this DCP; all site_coverage fields are therefore null.
- Rear setback is the GREATER of 15% of the average site length OR 6m; 6m is the reported floor (rear_setback_m=6). It varies by site length, not frontage, so rear_by_frontage is null.
- Side setback is stepped by lot width: 0.9m for lots up to 12.5m wide, 1.2m for lots wider than 12.5m, and 1.5m for ALL lots within the Foreshore Scenic Protection Area (each measured at the front building line). Reported side_setback_m=0.9 is the base minimum; not a merit control.
- Secondary-street (corner) setback is stepped by lot width: 1.2m if the site is <15m wide, 2.0m if the site is ≥15m wide. Reported secondary_street_setback_m=1.2 is the narrow-lot minimum.
- Battle-axe lot: the front setback of the rear (no-street-frontage) lot is 4.0m.
- Landscaped-area percentage (20%) comes from GRLEP 2021 cl 6.12(5)(a) for a dwelling house OUTSIDE the Foreshore Scenic Protection Area; it is 25% for a dwelling house WITHIN the Foreshore Scenic Protection Area (cl 6.12(5)(b)). The DCP itself states no %, deferring to the LEP table. DCP §6.1.2.5 also requires soft-soil landscaping (min 1.2m dimension in all directions) in all landscaped areas — hence landscaped_deep_soil recorded false (termed 'landscaped/soft-soil', not explicitly 'deep soil').
- Impervious area within the street setback is capped: 60% where front setback <6m, otherwise 50% (and 50% of the primary street setback on corner lots).
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Georges River 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 Georges River Council before making decisions.
Georges River planning controls — common questions
Do these Georges River controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Georges River’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 Georges River controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Georges River’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Georges River 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 Georges River Council publish for dwellings?
Georges River Council publishes 6 dwelling controls in Georges River Development Control Plan 2021 — Part 6.1 Dwellings, Dual Occupancies (attached and detached), Secondary Dwellings and Narrow Lot Housing (Low Density), §6.1.2 Single Dwellings (Amendment No.6, 10 June 2024): 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 Georges River figures?
These values were extracted from Georges River Development Control Plan 2021 — Part 6.1 Dwellings, Dual Occupancies (attached and detached), Secondary Dwellings and Narrow Lot Housing (Low Density), §6.1.2 Single Dwellings (Amendment No.6, 10 June 2024) 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 Georges River?
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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