Reference Data · New South Wales
Richmond Valley DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Richmond Valley Development Control Plan 2021 — Part A-1 Dwelling Houses in the R1 General Residential and RU5 Village Zones. 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 6 controls Richmond Valley 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.
Richmond Valley Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 6 m | 6 m to the primary road (7 m for any part of a garage/carport with enclosure or shed); OR the established street setback = average of the setbacks of the nearest dwelling houses/dual occupancies within 40 m on the same primary road boundary. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 3 m | — |
| Landscaped area | 30% | — |
| Private open space | 25 m² | — |
Source: Richmond Valley Development Control Plan 2021 — Part A-1 Dwelling Houses in the R1 General Residential and RU5 Village Zones. Clauses: A-1.3 Building Setbacks (controls 1-9); A-1.5 Landscaped Area (control 1); A-1.6 Principal Private Open Spaces (control 1); A-1.4 Gross Floor Area (context). Open the source DCP.
Qualifications that change how these read
- Zone: Richmond Valley LEP 2012 uses R1 General Residential (plus RU5 Village) as the low-density dwelling-house zone; there is no R2 in this LGA. Part A-1 applies to dwelling houses in R1 and RU5.
- Side boundary setback is height-tiered: 0.9 m for building height 0-3.5 m; for building height >3.5 m to 8.5 m the required side setback = (Building Height - 3.5)/4 + 0.9 (FORMULA, A-1.3 control 7). side_setback_m records the 0.9 m base for a single-storey dwelling.
- Rear setback (A-1.3 control 8): single-storey dwelling = 3 m; two-storey dwelling = 3 m for first storey and 6 m for second storey. rear_setback_m records the 3 m single-storey/ground-floor value.
- Secondary/parallel road setback (A-1.3 controls 4-5): 3 m (5.5 m for a garage/carport with enclosure or shed).
- Battle-axe lot (A-1.3 control 9): dwelling set back 3 m from the lot boundary facing the road.
- NO site-coverage % control in the DCP. A-1.4 sets maximum Gross Floor Area (not site coverage), by FORMULA: lot 0-2000 m2 = 25% of lot area + 300 m2; lot >2000 m2 = 800 m2. Not recorded as a site-coverage percentage.
- Landscaped area = part of site used for growing plants/grasses/trees; excludes buildings, structures and hard-paved areas; permeable gravel that allows infiltration can contribute; minimum dimension 1.5 m (A-1.5 controls 2 & 4). At least 50% of the street setback must be landscaped area (A-1.5 control 5). Called 'Landscaped Area', not deep-soil.
- Principal private open space (A-1.6 control 1): at least 25 m2 with a minimum length and width of 3 m; located behind the front building line and adjacent to living/dining/kitchen. No small-site reduction stated.
- Building height (A-1.2): generally max 8.5 m per LEP 2012 Height of Buildings Map; some residential areas of Evans Head allow 9.5 m.
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 Richmond Valley Council before making decisions.
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