Reference Data · New South Wales
Wentworth Shire DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Wentworth Development Control Plan — Chapter 4 Residential Development Controls (4.1 Design of Residential Developments). 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 Wentworth Shire 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.
Wentworth Shire — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 6 m | 6m min for single-storey buildings incl. dwelling houses on RU5 Village zoned land (newly subdivided/developed areas); 15m min for R5 Large Lot Residential zoned land. In established areas of Wentworth, Dareton and Pooncarie, infill is set back to match an adjoining building (prevailing line) — same as an adjoining dwelling if the two adjoining setbacks differ by <=2m, else the average of the two. |
| Secondary street setback | 4 m | — |
| Side setback | 1 m | — |
| Rear setback | 3 m | — |
| Site coverage | 60% | — |
| Private open space | 40 m² | — |
Source: Wentworth Development Control Plan — Chapter 4 Residential Development Controls (4.1 Design of Residential Developments). Clauses: 4.1.3 Front Setback; 4.1.4 Side setbacks and Corner Lot Setbacks; 4.1.5 Rear setbacks; 4.1.6 Walls on Boundaries; 4.1.8 Site Coverage; 4.1.9 Private Open Space; 4.1.12 North-facing windows (solar setback formula). Open the source DCP.
Scope: RU5 dwelling houses. These are the controls for RU5, Wentworth Shire’s 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 Wentworth Shire controls?
- Zone note: Wentworth LEP 2011 has no R2 zone. The standard low-density dwelling-house case is RU5 Village (values recorded here); R5 Large Lot Residential is the large-lot variant with a 15m front setback. Chapter 4 applies to all residential development in Wentworth Shire EXCEPT the Buronga/Gol Gol Urban Release Area (Chapter 8), whose §5.1.x controls mirror the same numbers (60% site coverage, 40sqm POS, 6m front / 3m rear / 1m side).
- Front setback (4.1.3): 6m for single-storey dwellings on RU5 Village land; 15m for R5 Large Lot Residential; residential flat buildings 4.5m average off a minimum of 6m; established-area infill matches adjoining building setbacks (prevailing line).
- Side setback (4.1.4): single-storey dwelling min 1m with a combined total of 4.5m for both sides; corner lots min 2m to each street-side boundary; two-storey per Diagram D4 (not numeric in text).
- Rear setback (4.1.5): 3m for single-storey dwellings; 6.5m minimum for a second-storey (two-storey) component; residential flat buildings 7.5m.
- Secondary-street/corner (4.1.3/4.1.4): min 4m to the secondary frontage where the unbroken wall length along that frontage <=8m; 4.5m where the entry or garage fronts the secondary street (RU5 Village), 15m (R5).
- Solar-access setback FORMULA (4.1.12 North-facing windows), recorded as a formula not a flat setback: where a north-facing habitable-room window of an existing dwelling is within 3m of an abutting boundary, setback from the boundary = 1m + 0.6m for every metre of height over 3.6m (up to 6.9m), plus 1m for every metre of height over 6.9m, for 3m either side of the window.
- Walls on boundaries (4.1.6): a wall on/within 150mm of a side or rear boundary should not abut for more than 10m + 25% of the remaining boundary length; height average 3m, no part higher than 3.6m.
- Private open space (4.1.9): 40sqm total, of which secluded POS at side/rear must be min 25sqm with min dimension 3m (or an 8sqm balcony, min width 1.6m). No small-site reduced minimum stated.
- No numeric landscaped-area or deep-soil percentage standard for dwelling houses — landscaping is treated qualitatively (landscape-plan submission requirements).
- min_boundary_setback left null: the only generic boundary minimum is the 1m side setback (captured in side_setback_m); the 1m+0.6m/height formula is solar-access-specific, not a general boundary minimum.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Wentworth Shire 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 Wentworth Shire before making decisions.
Wentworth Shire planning controls — common questions
Do these Wentworth Shire controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Wentworth Shire’s 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 Wentworth Shire controls apply to?
RU5 Village — Wentworth Shire’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Wentworth Shire 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 Wentworth Shire publish for dwellings?
Wentworth Shire publishes 6 dwelling controls in Wentworth Development Control Plan — Chapter 4 Residential Development Controls (4.1 Design of Residential Developments): front setback, secondary street setback, side setback, rear setback, site coverage, 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 Wentworth Shire figures?
They are machine-extracted from Wentworth Development Control Plan — Chapter 4 Residential Development Controls (4.1 Design of Residential Developments) 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 Wentworth Shire?
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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