Reference Data · New South Wales
Port Macquarie-Hastings DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Port Macquarie-Hastings Development Control Plan 2013 — Part C: Development Specific Provisions, C1: Low Density Residential Development. 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings 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.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | 4.5m to the primary frontage per Table 4. Articulation-zone elements (portico, balcony, bay window, awning, etc.) permitted from a minimum 3m from the property boundary (cl 44a). Other Table 4 values: classified road any frontage 6.0m; ancillary lane 2.0m; large lot residential/rural zones 10.0m. Table 4 is headed "Dual Occupancy or Attached Dwellings" but cl 44(c) applies it to all low-density residential development, incl. dwelling houses. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Minimum boundary setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 4 m | — |
| Private open space | 35 m² | — |
Source: Port Macquarie-Hastings Development Control Plan 2013 — Part C: Development Specific Provisions, C1: Low Density Residential Development. Clauses: C1 cl 44 (Front Setbacks + Table 4), cl 46 (Side and Rear Setbacks — rear), cl 47 (side setbacks), cl 48 (Private Open Space). Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Port Macquarie-Hastings’ 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings controls?
- Source is the current PMHC DCP 2013, Part C (June 2021 amendment set). C1 'Low Density Residential Development' applies to dwelling houses, secondary dwellings, semi-detached, dual occupancy and multi dwelling housing in low-density zones (incl. R2).
- Front setback effective value 4.5m is for the primary frontage; articulation-zone building elements may project to within 3m of the boundary (cl 44a). Classified-road frontage 6.0m; large lot residential/rural 10.0m. Table 4 is literally headed 'Dual Occupancy or Attached Dwellings' but cl 44(c) directs all low-density front setbacks to it.
- Side setback recorded as 0.9m = the ground-floor minimum (<1m above existing ground). First floor and above require 3m, reducible to 0.9m on an overshadowing-merit test (no more than 3hrs overshadowing 9am-3pm on 21 June) — this is a merit reduction on upper storeys, not a narrow-lot/frontage rule.
- min_boundary_setback_m = 0.9m reflects the smallest dwelling setback to any boundary (ground-floor side). Rear may also drop to 900mm where one side setback is >=4m and better solar access is achieved (cl 46c).
- NO site-coverage control and NO landscaped-area/deep-soil control apply to low-density dwelling houses in this DCP — both recorded null. The only deep-soil table (Table 5, 7%) is scoped to C2 residential flat / tourist & visitor development, non-SEPP 65 buildings.
- Private open space 35m2 min, incl. a principal POS of 4m x 4m min at <=5% grade; no small-site reduction is stated.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Port Macquarie-Hastings 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council before making decisions.
Port Macquarie-Hastings planning controls — common questions
Do these Port Macquarie-Hastings controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Port Macquarie-Hastings’ 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Port Macquarie-Hastings’ low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Port Macquarie-Hastings 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council publish for dwellings?
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council publishes 6 dwelling controls in Port Macquarie-Hastings Development Control Plan 2013 — Part C: Development Specific Provisions, C1: Low Density Residential Development: front setback, secondary street setback, side setback, minimum boundary setback, rear setback, 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings figures?
They are machine-extracted from Port Macquarie-Hastings Development Control Plan 2013 — Part C: Development Specific Provisions, C1: Low Density Residential Development 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 Port Macquarie-Hastings?
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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