Granny flats in Rockhampton — do you need approval?

Zone by zone

Dwelling house (a secondary dwelling is part of a dwelling house — Planning Regulation 2017, Schedule 24). Residential zones first.

Overlays that change the answer

• Bushfire hazard overlay — high and very high hazard. A dwelling house or dwelling unit that would otherwise be accepted becomes accepted subject to requirements (must meet the Bushfire hazard overlay code). Multiple dwellings (townhouses/units) become impact assessable — a development application open to public submissions is required. (Table 5.9.4)
• Bushfire hazard overlay — buffer and medium hazard. No change to the category, but the Bushfire hazard overlay code applies, including to accepted-subject-to-requirements development. (Table 5.9.4)
• Character overlay — residential character design control area. A dwelling house that would otherwise be accepted becomes accepted subject to requirements; extensions, external alterations and minor building work become accepted subject to requirements (must meet the Character overlay code). (Table 5.9.5)
• Flood hazard overlay — high/extreme hazard (H3-H6) or Local catchment flood planning area 1. A dwelling house that is accepted becomes accepted subject to requirements; dual occupancy, multiple dwellings and most residential uses become impact assessable (full development application with public notification). (Table 5.9.8)
• Flood hazard overlay — H1/H2 or North Rockhampton Flood Management Area or Local catchment flood planning area 2. A dwelling house/dwelling unit becomes accepted subject to requirements (must meet the Flood hazard overlay code). (Table 5.9.8)
• Steep land overlay — slope 25% or greater. A dwelling house, dwelling unit or dual occupancy that would otherwise be accepted or accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable (a development application is required against the Steep land overlay code). (Table 5.9.11)
• Coastal protection overlay — erosion prone area or medium/high coastal hazard. A dwelling house/dwelling unit becomes accepted subject to requirements (must meet the Coastal protection overlay code). (Table 5.9.6)
• Special management area overlay. Replacement, alteration or extension of a dwelling house/dwelling unit becomes accepted subject to requirements; a new dwelling (not replacement/alteration/extension) and dual occupancy become impact assessable. (Table 5.9.10)
• Extractive resources overlay. A dwelling house, dwelling unit, caretaker's accommodation, home-based business or rural workers' accommodation that is accepted or accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable. (Table 5.9.7)
• Airport environs overlay. A new building or expansion that exceeds the airport obstacle limitation surface (OM-2A) and would otherwise be accepted becomes accepted subject to requirements (Airport environs overlay code applies). (Table 5.9.2)

Worth knowing in Rockhampton

IMPORTANT: The scheme's building work table (section 5.6) is 'Not applicable' — the scheme does NOT itself make domestic building work (sheds, carports, pools, fences, extensions, demolition) assessable in the base case. Those projects are generally 'accepted' under the planning scheme (no planning development application), but a building approval under the Building Act 1975 is almost always still required and must be obtained separately. Overlays (especially Flood, Character, Heritage) can change this — see overlay_triggers. Granny flats: the QPP 'Dwelling house' definition includes a secondary dwelling, so a granny flat follows the Dwelling house row of each zone; in residential/township/rural/rural residential/emerging community zones a dwelling house is 'accepted' (or 'accepted subject to requirements' in Emerging community and Rural), but in centre, industry, open space, sport & recreation, community facilities, special purpose, limited development and environmental zones a dwelling house is not listed and falls to the 'any other use' row = impact assessable. Minimum lot sizes for subdivision are set in Table 9.3.5.3.2 of the Reconfiguring a lot code, which was not reproduced in the material provided — specific numeric minimums per zone could not be extracted, so min_lot_size_m2 is null for all zones. Known thresholds: Emerging community = 10 hectares for code assessment; Rural = the minimum nominated in the Reconfiguring a lot code. Many zones have precincts and sub-precincts; the scheme states that for a precinct/sub-precinct the relevant (parent) zone categories apply for reconfiguring and operational work, but material-change-of-use tables can differ by precinct (e.g. Low density residential Fitzroy River accommodation precinct allows some small-scale commercial uses). Tree clearing: the scheme only regulates vegetation clearing as operational work via overlays (Biodiversity, etc.); the general operational work table (5.7.1) mainly covers filling/excavation and access/services works — most vegetation clearing is accepted under the scheme but the State Vegetation Management Act 1999 rules are separate and may still apply. Home-based business is 'accepted subject to requirements' in residential, township, rural, rural residential, industry and emerging community zones (meet the relevant zone code) and 'accepted' in centre zones.

What else you'll need

• Building approval
• Plumbing approval

More about Rockhampton

• What can you build in Rockhampton? Council overview and development applications
• Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
• What Rockhampton Regional Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
• A Landbrief site report for your Rockhampton address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
• Development applications in Parkhurst
• Development applications in Kawana
• Development applications in Park Avenue
• Development applications in Berserker
• Development applications in Frenchville
• Development applications in Gracemere
• Development applications in Koongal
• Development applications in Depot Hill

Other projects in Rockhampton

Dual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeClear treesDemolish

The statewide position on this project: Granny flat in Queensland.