Reference Data · New South Wales
Port Stephens DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Port Stephens Development Control Plan 2025 — C4.A Residential Development - General. 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 Stephens 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 Stephens Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | Minimum 4.5m OR the existing average building line of the adjoining properties, whichever is less (C4.2). Exception: 6m front setback in the Koala Bay–Tanilba Bay area (Figure 36) to allow Koala movement. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 2 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 25% | — |
| Private open space | 24 m² | — |
Source: Port Stephens Development Control Plan 2025 — C4.A Residential Development - General. Clauses: C4.2 (front setback), C4.3 (side setback), C4.4 (secondary setback), C4.5 (rear setback), C4.6 (setback from public/waterfront land), C4.16 (site coverage & landscaping), C4.17-C4.18 (private open space). Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Port Stephens’ 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 Stephens controls?
- Setbacks are HEIGHT-tiered (single-storey vs three-storey+), not lot-area-tiered. Recorded values are the single-storey / standard dwelling-house figures: side 0.9m (walls up to 4.5m; C4.3), rear 2m (C4.5). Upper tiers: side 3m and rear 6m for three-storey+.
- front_setback_m recorded as 4.5 but the control is '4.5m OR the existing average building line of adjoining properties, whichever is less' (C4.2) — a prevailing-line alternative; 6m in the Koala Bay–Tanilba Bay precinct (map-dependent, Figure 36).
- NO numeric maximum SITE COVERAGE % is stated in the DCP. Bulk/coverage is governed indirectly via the 25% soft-landscaping requirement (C4.16) plus a 9m max building height (C4.1). All site_coverage fields left null.
- Landscaping control (C4.16) is expressed as 25% of site area as 'soft' landscaping excluding all hardstand — described as 'soft landscaping', not 'deep soil', so landscaped_deep_soil=false. Does NOT apply to R5 Large Lot Residential, RU1, RU2 (C4.A4).
- Setback from public/waterfront land: single-storey 3m / three-storey+ 8m (C4.6). Battle-axe handle/access-corridor/easement setback minimum 0.9m (C4.8). Garages min 5.5m from front boundary or 1m behind building line, whichever greater (C4.9).
- Private open space: min 24m2 ground floor (C4.17); where ground-floor POS not possible, a balcony >=16m2 with min depth 2.5m may substitute (C4.18). No lot-area-based small-site reduction, so pos_small_site fields null.
- Secondary street setback (corner lots) = minimum 3m from the secondary property boundary (C4.4).
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Port Stephens 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 Stephens Council before making decisions.
Port Stephens planning controls — common questions
Do these Port Stephens controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Port Stephens’ 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 Stephens controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Port Stephens’ low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Port Stephens 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 Stephens Council publish for dwellings?
Port Stephens Council publishes 6 dwelling controls in Port Stephens Development Control Plan 2025 — C4.A Residential Development - General: 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 Port Stephens figures?
They are machine-extracted from Port Stephens Development Control Plan 2025 — C4.A Residential Development - General 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 Stephens?
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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