Reference Data · New South Wales
Parramatta DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
5 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 — Part 3 Residential Development, Section 3.3 (3.3.1 Key Development Standards for Dwelling Houses). 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 5 that Parramatta 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.
Parramatta, City of — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 6 m | Minimum 6 m AND consistent with the prevailing setback along the street (3.3.1.2 C.05). Minimum setback to state and regional roads is 10 m (C.07). |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 40% | — |
| Private open space | 100 m² | — |
Source: Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 — Part 3 Residential Development, Section 3.3 (3.3.1 Key Development Standards for Dwelling Houses). Clauses: 3.3.1.2 C.05, C.06, C.07, C.08, C.10 (setbacks); 3.3.1.4 C.01, C.02, C.03 (open space & landscape). Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Parramatta’s low-density residential zone. Do not apply these figures to a dual occupancy, duplex, secondary dwelling or multi-dwelling housing development — those are set out separately. See the dual occupancy controls below.
What qualifies these Parramatta controls?
- Deep soil: minimum 30% of the total site area, min dimension 4 m x 4 m, with at least 50% at the rear and at least 15% at the front of the site (3.3.1.4 C.01) — a SEPARATE control from the 40% landscaping requirement, which is inclusive of the deep-soil zone (min dimension 2 m x 2 m, C.02). landscaped_flat_pct=40 records the landscaping control; landscaped_deep_soil=false because the 40% figure is landscaping, not the deep-soil minimum.
- Rear setback is a FORMULA: equal to 30% of the site length, measured perpendicular to the centre of the rear boundary (3.3.1.2 C.10) — no fixed metre value is stated, so rear_setback_m is null.
- Private open space: min 100 m² per dwelling, contiguous, at ground level, to the rear of each dwelling, min dimension 6 m (3.3.1.4 C.03); open space within the front setback is excluded from the POS calculation (C.05).
- No numeric site-coverage or FSR control in the DCP for dwelling houses — height and floor space ratio are deferred to the Parramatta LEP 2023 maps. Dwelling houses are a maximum of 2 storeys, attic rooms permitted (3.3.1.2 C.01–C.02).
- Max wall length along a side boundary is 10 m; after 10 m a minimum recess of 1.5 m (depth) x 2 m (length) is required to all storeys (3.3.1.2 C.09).
- Minimum site frontage for new subdivision is 15 m (3.3.1.1 C.01). Controls are for the standard low-density dwelling-house case; the DCP dwelling-house section is not lot-area tiered.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Parramatta DCP data?
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 2026-08-29. 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 Parramatta, City of before making decisions.
Parramatta dual occupancy (duplex) controls
A dual occupancy is assessed under the DCP’s specific land-use part, which overrides the dwelling-house controls only where it states something. Every row below is marked accordingly, so the ones that genuinely differ are visible rather than buried among the ones that do not.
| Control | Dual occupancy | vs dwelling house |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot size | 600 m² | no dwelling-house equivalent |
| Minimum lot frontage | 15 m | no dwelling-house equivalent |
| Front setback | 6 m | restated, same figure |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | restated, same figure |
| Side setback | 1.5 m | differs — dwelling house 0.9 m |
| Rear setback | A formula, not a fixed metre value: the rear setback must equal 30% of the site length OR 10 m, whichever is GREATER (C.14). On corner sites the rear setback is a minimum of 6 m (C.15). | no dwelling-house equivalent |
| Landscaped area | 40% | restated, same figure |
| Private open space | 100 m² | restated, same figure |
Controls not listed here fall back to the dwelling-house values on this record, which come from Section 3.3.1 Key Development Standards for Dwelling Houses.
Source: Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 — Part 3 Residential Development, Section 3.3.2 Key Development Standards for Dual Occupancies. Clauses: 3.3.2.1 Minimum site frontage and site area (C.01, C.03); 3.3.2.2 Setbacks (C.05, C.07–C.15); 3.3.2.4 Open space and landscape (C.01–C.03). Open the source DCP part.
- SIDE SETBACK DIFFERS FROM A DWELLING HOUSE: 1.5 m for a dual occupancy against 0.9 m for a dwelling house.
- MINIMUM SITE FRONTAGE 15 m AND MINIMUM SITE AREA 600 m², both per Parramatta LEP 2023 — these decide whether a site qualifies at all. For battle-axe lots the access handle is excluded from the site area.
- REAR SETBACK IS A FORMULA and is unusually deep: 30% of the site length or 10 m, WHICHEVER IS GREATER, measured perpendicular to the centre of the rear boundary. Corner sites take a 6 m minimum instead.
- Buildings may occupy a maximum of 80% of the lot width, and the maximum length of wall along a side boundary is 10 m before a recess is required (C.10, C.13).
- Dual occupancies are limited to a maximum of 2 storeys with attic rooms (C.02); minimum setback to state and regional roads is 10 m (C.08).
- Deep soil: a minimum 30% of total site area with at least 50% of it at the rear and 20% at the front (3.3.2.4 C.01). The 40% landscaping figure INCLUDES the deep soil zone.
- Private open space 100 m² per dwelling, minimum dimension 6 m, with direct access from internal living spaces; open space within the street setback does not count toward it.
Parramatta planning controls — common questions
Do these Parramatta controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No — a dual occupancy is assessed under different standards, and this page publishes what Parramatta sets for one. side setback is 1.5 m for a dual occupancy against 0.9 m for a dwelling house. Controls not listed are not overridden and fall back to the dwelling-house figures. Source: Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 — Part 3 Residential Development, Section 3.3.2 Key Development Standards for Dual Occupancies.
Which zone do these Parramatta controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Parramatta’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Parramatta 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 Parramatta, City of publish for dwellings?
Parramatta, City of publishes 5 dwelling controls in Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 — Part 3 Residential Development, Section 3.3 (3.3.1 Key Development Standards for Dwelling Houses): front setback, secondary street setback, side 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 Parramatta figures?
They are machine-extracted from Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023 — Part 3 Residential Development, Section 3.3 (3.3.1 Key Development Standards for Dwelling Houses) and have not been independently re-checked, so treat them as screening grade — good enough to compare councils and to know which questions to ask, not a substitute for reading the clause. This is a lower confidence tier than our Victorian schedules, which a person reads and verifies from the source scheme.
Do these controls apply to every property in Parramatta?
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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