Reference Data · New South Wales
Yass Valley DCP: the dwelling controls, as published.
6 controls for low-density residential — dwelling houses, taken from Yass Valley Development Control Plan 2024 — Part D1 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 6 that Yass Valley 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.
Yass Valley Council — published dwelling controls
| Control | Published value | Qualifier |
|---|---|---|
| Front setback | 4.5 m | R2 Low Density: lesser of (a) the average of setbacks of existing dwellings on adjacent lots (prevailing line), or (b) a lot-area-tiered value — 3 m (200-300 m²), 4.5 m (301-900 m²), 6.5 m (901-1,500 m²), 10 m (>1,500 m²). The 4.5 m recorded is the 301-900 m² tier (typical suburban lot); use the correct tier for the actual lot area. Where no dwellings exist on adjacent lots, the tiered value applies directly. |
| Secondary street setback | 3 m | — |
| Side setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Minimum boundary setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Rear setback | 0.9 m | — |
| Private open space | 40 m² | — |
Source: Yass Valley Development Control Plan 2024 — Part D1 Dwelling Houses. Clauses: D1.2 & Table 6 (front setbacks), D1.3 (side/rear setbacks), D1.4 & Table 7 (site coverage/FSR), D1.7 (private open space). Open the source DCP.
Scope: R2 dwelling houses. These are the controls for R2, Yass Valley’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 Yass Valley controls?
- Part D1 (Dwelling Houses) applies to R1/R2/R3/RU5. R2 Low Density Residential is the standard low-density zone; values recorded are for R2.
- SITE COVERAGE: the DCP sets NO numeric site-coverage percentage for dwelling houses. D1.4(d) defers the maximum to the Floor Space Ratio Map of Yass Valley LEP 2013; where not mapped, Table 7 gives a fallback FLOOR SPACE RATIO (not a coverage %) of 0.3:1 for R2 Low Density Residential (R1/R3 = 0.5:1, RU5 = no maximum). Recorded as null because it is an FSR / map-dependent control, not a % site coverage.
- LANDSCAPED AREA: no numeric landscaped-area or deep-soil percentage is set for single dwelling houses in Part D1. (The 25% front-of-building-line / 30% total-lot / 20%-reduced landscaping figures apply only to medium-density & multi-dwelling housing in Part D2.7, not to dwelling houses.)
- SIDE & REAR SETBACKS (D1.3): minimum 900 mm. A wall may be closer than 900 mm only if it is ≤3.3 m high, masonry, and has no openings facing the boundary; total length of wall within 900 mm of a side boundary must not exceed 10 m. Height-graduated rule (D1.3f): any point of the building must be set back from the nearest side or rear boundary at least 900 mm for parts ≤4.5 m high, and 900 mm plus one-quarter of the height above 4.5 m for taller parts. 3 m setback where the boundary adjoins a public reserve. Rear setback is governed by this same 900 mm side/rear rule (no separate rear-setback figure).
- FRONT / SECONDARY-STREET: front setback is lot-area tiered and prevailing-line based (see front_setback_note); secondary-street setback minimum 3 m in R2 (D1.2b). Max building height 8.5 m (LEP Height of Buildings Map) per D1.5.
- PRIVATE OPEN SPACE (D1.7): minimum 40 m² total, directly accessible from a habitable room (not a bedroom); principal part ≥24 m² with minimum dimensions 4 × 4 m and slope ≤5%; excludes driveways, utility/service areas and rainwater tanks. No small-site reduction stated for dwelling houses.
Wondering how this compares with asking an AI to read the scheme? We wrote that up here.
How reliable is this Yass Valley 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 Yass Valley Council before making decisions.
Yass Valley planning controls — common questions
Do these Yass Valley controls apply to a duplex or dual occupancy?
No. The figures on this page are Yass Valley’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 Yass Valley controls apply to?
R2 Low Density Residential — Yass Valley’s low-density residential zone. Confirmed against the zones the Yass Valley 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 Yass Valley Council publish for dwellings?
Yass Valley Council publishes 6 dwelling controls in Yass Valley Development Control Plan 2024 — Part D1 Dwelling Houses: 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 Yass Valley figures?
They are machine-extracted from Yass Valley Development Control Plan 2024 — Part D1 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 Yass Valley?
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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