Reference Data · New South Wales
MidCoast DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
7 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Great Lakes Development Control Plan 2014 — Part 5 (Single Dwellings, Dual Occupancies, Villas and Townhouses) + Part 13 (Landscaping and Open Space). One of three legacy DCPs still current for MidCoast Council; applies to the former Great Lakes area.. 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 MidCoast 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.
MidCoast Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | Prevailing line: where neighbouring houses exist within 40m, front setback = average of the setbacks of the nearest two neighbouring houses with the same primary road frontage. Where there are no neighbouring houses, minimum is 4.5m on allotments less than 900m² and 6m on allotments greater than 900m². Garages/carports/car spaces min 6m from the primary road frontage. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Minimum boundary setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 3 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 30% | — |
| Private open space | 24 m² | — |
Source: Great Lakes Development Control Plan 2014 — Part 5 (Single Dwellings, Dual Occupancies, Villas and Townhouses) + Part 13 (Landscaping and Open Space). One of three legacy DCPs still current for MidCoast Council; applies to the former Great Lakes area.. Clauses: 5.5.2.1 Primary Road Setback; 5.5.2.3 Secondary Setback; 5.5.2.5 Side and Rear Setback; 5.8 Private Outdoor Areas; 5.11 lots under min size. Landscaping: 13.1.2(1)-(2) (Part 13, separate PDF).. Open the source DCP.
Qualifications that change how these read
- MidCoast Council is a merged LGA (Greater Taree + Great Lakes + Gloucester) with no consolidated DCP yet; three legacy DCPs remain current. These figures are from the Great Lakes DCP, which applies to the former Great Lakes portion of the LGA and explicitly lists R2 Low Density Residential. The Manning Region DCP 2010 (Greater Taree) and Gloucester DCP cover the other parts and may differ.
- Site coverage: NO maximum site-coverage percentage is codified for single dwellings in the Great Lakes DCP — control is via landscaped area (30% min) + setbacks. site_coverage fields left null (not stated).
- Front setback is prevailing-line based (average of nearest two houses within 40m with same frontage). The 4.5m (lots <900m²) / 6m (lots >900m²) figures apply only where there are no neighbouring houses; 4.5m recorded as the standard-lot minimum.
- Side setback 0.9m and rear setback 3m are the minimums for wall height up to 3.8m. Above 3.8m a FORMULA applies: side = 0.9m + (wall height − 3.8m)/4; rear = 3m + (wall height − 3.8m)/4. Recorded minimums only; formula not flattened.
- Landscaped area 30% of site (flat). A sub-requirement (s13.1.2(2)) requires at least 50% of that landscaped area to be deep-soil zone; landscaped_deep_soil set false because the headline 30% is a landscaping (not pure deep-soil) requirement. Landscaping areas with any dimension <1.5m are excluded from the calculation.
- Private open space: 24m² ground-level min (min dimension 4m). The 16m² balcony/deck figure is the alternative where main living areas are NOT at ground level — it is not a small-lot reduction, so pos_small_site fields left null.
- Lots <450m² and/or frontage <12.6m wide are assessed on merit (applicant should consult Council) — a general merit trigger, not a specific reduced side setback, so side_merit_below_frontage_m left null.
- Corner lots: a 3m setback is usually applied to the longest street frontage (s5.5.2.4). Attached garages/carports min 6m from front boundary and min 500mm behind the dwelling front building line (s5.4).
- Numerous locality-specific overrides exist (Seal Rocks, Pacific Palms, Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest, Coomba Park, Green Point, Smiths Lake, Tuncurry) — the standard R2 case is recorded; these are precinct-specific exceptions.
How this was compiled, and how far to trust it
These values were machine-extracted from the source DCP and have not been independently re-checked. Treat them as screening grade: good enough to compare councils and to know which questions to ask, not a substitute for reading the clause before you rely on it. 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 MidCoast Council before making decisions.
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