Granny flats in Banana — do you need approval?
Banana Shire Council's planning scheme — the Banana Shire Planning Scheme 2021 — decides whether a granny flat needs a development application, and the answer depends on the zone your property is in. Below is what its table of assessment says for each zone; or check your own address.
In a general residential zone code
Accepted if you meet the requirements. A granny flat in the residential zone is usually allowed without a development application if it meets the requirements, otherwise a code-assessed application is needed.
I don't know my zone — choose my council instead
The zone is on your rates notice, or a Landbrief site report will find it for you.
Zone by zone
Dwelling house (a secondary dwelling is part of a dwelling house — Planning Regulation 2017, Schedule 24). Residential zones first.
| Zone | What the table says | Conditions | What you'll need |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Residential Zone Code | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 4.2 (General Residential Zone MCU table) | if it meets the dwelling house / secondary dwelling requirements in the General Residential Zone CodeIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: General Residential Zone Code |
| Rural Residential Zone Code | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 4.2 (Rural Residential Zone MCU table) | if it meets the dwelling house / secondary dwelling requirements in the Rural Residential Zone CodeIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Rural Residential Zone Code |
| Township Zone Code | Accepted if you meet the requirements Township Zone table | if a dwelling house on the lot and meeting the zone code requirementsIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Township Zone Code |
| Centre Zone Code | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5 (Centre Zone) | A granny flat (secondary dwelling under a dwelling house) is not an anticipated use in the Centre Zone, so you will need an impact-assessable development application unless the zone table lists it otherwise. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Centre Zone Code |
| Community Facilities Zone Code | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5 (Community Facilities Zone) | A granny flat is not an anticipated use in the Community Facilities Zone, so it defaults to 'any other use' and would need an impact-assessable development application. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Community Facilities Zone Code |
| Environmental Management and Conservation Zone Code | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5 (Environmental Management and Conservation Zone) | A granny flat is not anticipated in the Environmental Management and Conservation Zone and defaults to 'any other use', so an impact-assessable development application would be required. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Environmental Management and Conservation Zone Code |
| Industry Zone Code | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5 (Industry Zone) | A granny flat is not anticipated in the Industry Zone and defaults to 'any other use', so an impact-assessable development application would be required. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Industry Zone Code |
| Mixed Use Zone Code | Needs a development application (code assessment) Table 4.2 (zone MCU table) | A granny flat (secondary dwelling) in the Mixed Use zone generally needs a development application assessed against the code, as the zone table does not list dwelling houses as accepted. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Mixed Use Zone Code, Reconfiguring a Lot Code is not relevant |
| Recreation and Open Space Zone Code | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 4.2 (zone MCU table) – any other use | A granny flat is not an expected use in the Recreation and Open Space zone, so it would need an impact-assessed development application; this follows the zone's 'any other use' default. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Recreation and Open Space Zone Code |
| Rural Zone Code | Needs a development application (code assessment) Table 5.10.3 (Rural Zone) | A granny flat (secondary dwelling) in the Rural Zone generally needs a development application assessed against the code. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Rural Zone Code, Development Design Code – Table 6.3.2 |
| Special Industry Zone Code | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Part 5 zone table | A home in the Special Industry Zone is not anticipated, so a granny flat needs an impact-assessed development application with public notification. | Building approval; Plumbing approvalAssessed against: Special Industry Zone Code |
Overlays that change the answer
The table above is the base case, before any overlay. Flood, bushfire, landslide, heritage and character overlays are the usual reasons a normally-accepted project becomes a development application — add your address above and the tool flags the ones that apply to your lot.
Worth knowing in Banana
Minimum lot sizes are not listed in the Tables of Assessment — they are in Table 6.3.6 of the Reconfiguring a Lot Code, which was not provided. For every zone, subdividing is code assessable where resulting lots meet the minimum lot areas of Table 6.3.6, and impact assessable where any lot does not comply (Table 4.3.1). Amalgamation of lots and creation of an access easement to one lot are accepted/ADSR in all zones. MUIRS ROAD PRECINCT (Rural Zone): the accepted and accepted-subject-to-requirements MCU pathways in Table 4.1.1, the accepted/ADSR earthworks and minor-electricity operational-work pathways, and some other concessions do NOT apply in this precinct; building work in the Muirs Road Precinct not associated with a material change of use is code assessable against the Rural Zone Code. COMMUNITY FACILITIES ZONE Precinct 6: operational work for a municipal waste facility is accepted. Zone-specific material change of use categories (granny_flat, dual_occupancy, home_business, townhouses, shop_office, etc.) are set by the individual zone codes in Part 5, which were not supplied here — rules for those uses will rely on each zone code's table of assessment and default/'any other use' rows. A building approval under the Building Act may still be required even where planning assessment is 'accepted'.
What else you'll need
- Building approval
- Plumbing approval
More about Banana
- What can you build in Banana? Council overview and development applications
- Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
- What Banana Shire Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
- A Landbrief site report for your Banana address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
Other projects in Banana
Dual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeClear treesDemolish
The statewide position on this project: Granny flat in Queensland.
Read from the Banana Shire Planning Scheme 2021 tables of assessment. General information, not advice. The council's planning scheme and the Planning Act 2016 decide — confirm with the council or a town planner before you build.