Running a business from home in Mackay — do you need approval?
Mackay Regional Council's planning scheme — the Mackay Region Planning Scheme 2017 — decides whether a home business 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 low density residential zone
No planning approval needed. A small home business (30 m² or less, no outside staff, customer visits, retail or industrial activity) needs no development application; a bigger one needs none either if it meets the Home-based business code, otherwise a code assessable development 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
Home-based business. Residential zones first.
| Zone | What the table says | Conditions | What you'll need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low density residential zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.9 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Medium density residential zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.12 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| High density residential zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.5 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Rural residential zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.18 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Township zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.23 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Emerging community zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.4 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Community facilities zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.1 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
| Conservation zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.2 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
| District centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.3 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| High impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.6 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, no industrial or service industry activity, no home-based childcare and no bed and breakfastIf not met: a development application with impact assessment (neighbours can make submissions). | Nothing further under the planning scheme |
| Industry investigation zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.7 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, no industrial or service industry activity, no home-based childcare and no bed and breakfastIf not met: a development application with impact assessment (neighbours can make submissions). | Nothing further under the planning scheme |
| Local centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.8 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Low impact industry zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.10 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
| Major centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.11 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Mixed use zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.13 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Neighbourhood centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.14 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Open space zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.15 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
| Principal centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.16 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Rural zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.17 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Special purpose zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.19 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
| Specialised centre zone | No planning approval needed Table 5.5.20 | accepted if the business occupies 30 m² or less and involves no non-resident employees on site, no customers or clients visiting, no retail or hiring of goods, and no industrial or service industry activity (or is home-based childcare); otherwise accepted subject to requirementsIf not met: accepted if you meet the requirements. | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: Home-based business code |
| Sport and recreation zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.21 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
| Tourism zone | Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.22 | not a listed use in this zone ('any other use' row) | Nothing further under the planning schemeAssessed against: The planning scheme |
Overlays that change the answer
- Bushfire hazard overlay. A home-based business involving bed and breakfast accommodation becomes code assessable in or within 100 m of a bushfire hazard area. (Table 5.10.5)
- Regional infrastructure overlay. On land identified as regional electricity infrastructure, a substation or railway infrastructure, any material change of use (including a dwelling house and home-based business) and any reconfiguring a lot become code assessable against the Regional infrastructure overlay code. (Table 5.10.12)
Worth knowing in Mackay
Mackay Region Planning Scheme 2017 (Version 5.0), Part 5, converted from the council PDF. A material change of use is impact assessable unless the table says otherwise or the use isn't listed (section 5.3.2(1)); reconfiguring a lot is code assessable in every zone (Table 5.6.1); building work and operational work are accepted unless the tables say otherwise (section 5.3.2(3)). There is no building work table for zones (section 5.7): building work is only regulated through the Airport environs, Heritage and neighbourhood character and Flood risk (Finch Hatton) overlays, so a shed, extension, pool, fence or demolition needs no planning development application elsewhere — a building approval under the Building Act is still needed. Accepted development subject to requirements that doesn't meet the nominated acceptable outcomes becomes code assessable (section 5.3.3(2)). A dwelling house includes a secondary dwelling (granny flat); it is accepted (no requirements) in the Emerging community, High, Medium and Low density residential and Township zones, accepted subject to the Dwelling house code in the Rural and Rural residential zones, limited to precincts in the Mixed use (MX2), Specialised centre (SC2) and Neighbourhood centre (code in Finch Hatton) zones, and impact assessable elsewhere. Dual occupancy is not listed in the High density residential, Rural or Rural residential zones, so it is impact assessable there. 'Centre activities' and 'Multiple dwelling activities' are defined activity groups (Schedule 1) — shop, office and food and drink outlet are centre activities; dual occupancy is treated here as a multiple dwelling activity where only the group is listed (Emerging community, Township, Bushfire hazard overlay). Precincts vary uses in several zones (e.g. Medium density residential MD1/MD2, Mixed use Fringe commercial MX2, Specialised centre SC1/SC2, High impact industry sugar mill HI1). Local plans: the Mackay city centre local plan (Table 5.9.1) makes many uses impact assessable in the education mixed use (CC3), exhibition/events (CC4) and civic (CC5) precincts — including multiple dwellings, and shops/offices in CC4/CC5 — and adds its local plan code; the Marian central local plan (Table 5.9.2) adds its code without changing categories. Where premises are in more than one zone, local plan or overlay the highest category applies to the part affected, but a local plan category overrides a zone and an overlay overrides both (section 5.3.2(8)–(9)). Schedule 6 of the Planning Regulation 2017 overrides the scheme (e.g. community residence, Schedule 12 one-into-two lot subdivisions). Part 5 states no minimum lot sizes — they sit in the zone and Reconfiguring a lot codes. Operational work: excavation or filling over 20 m³ or 200 mm deep is code assessable in key urban areas and the Township zone (other thresholds in Rural residential and rural zones); the scheme does not list vegetation clearing, and state Vegetation Management Act rules apply separately.
What else you'll need
- Nothing beyond the planning scheme's own requirements.
More about Mackay
- What can you build in Mackay? Council overview and development applications
- Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
- What Mackay Regional Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
- A Landbrief site report for your Mackay address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
- Development applications in Paget
- Development applications in Sarina
- Development applications in Rural View
- Development applications in South Mackay
- Development applications in East Mackay
- Development applications in Bakers Creek
- Development applications in Andergrove
- Development applications in Mackay
Other projects in Mackay
Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallTownhousesShop, café or officeClear treesDemolish
The statewide position on this project: Home business in Queensland.
Read from the Mackay Region Planning Scheme 2017 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.