Swimming pools in Sunshine Coast — do you need approval?
Sunshine Coast Council's planning scheme — the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Amendment 27) — decides whether a swimming pool 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
Accepted if you meet the requirements. Planning-wise, a private swimming pool for a house in the low density residential zone needs no development application if it is minor building work or meets the Dwelling house code's requirements, otherwise a code assessable one.
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
Building work (a swimming pool). Residential zones first.
| Zone | What the table says | Conditions | What you'll need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low density residential zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Medium density residential zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| High density residential zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Tourist accommodation zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Rural residential zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Emerging community zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Community facilities zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| District centre zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Environmental management and conservation zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| High impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Limited development (landscape residential) zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Local centre zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Low impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Major centre zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Medium impact industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Open space zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Principal centre zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Rural zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | minor building work is accepted with no requirements; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomes for accepted developmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Specialised centre zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Sport and recreation zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Tourism zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
| Waterfront and marine industry zone | Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.7.1 | for an existing lawful house: minor building work is accepted; otherwise it must meet the Dwelling house code's acceptable outcomesIf not met: a development application with code assessment. | Building approval; Pool safety certificateAssessed against: Dwelling house code, Transport and parking code |
Overlays that change the answer
- Acid sulfate soils overlay. Development otherwise accepted becomes code assessable against the Acid sulfate soils overlay code if in Area 1 it excavates 100 m³ or more or fills 500 m³ or more (average depth 0.5 m or more), or in Area 2 it excavates 100 m³ or more at or below 5 m AHD. (Table 5.10.1)
- Heritage and character areas overlay (local heritage place). Building work (other than maintenance not affecting appearance or significance) and otherwise-accepted changes of use become code assessable; anything involving demolition, relocation or removal of significant elements becomes impact assessable. (Table 5.10.1)
Worth knowing in Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Amendment 27), 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; reconfiguring a lot is code assessable unless Table 5.6.1 says otherwise; building work and operational work are accepted unless the tables say otherwise (section 5.3.2). The scheme writes 'Accepted development' with a code in the requirements column; under section 5.3.3 that is accepted development subject to requirements, and failing an acceptable outcome makes it code assessable — mapped here as accepted_subject_to_requirements. A dwelling house (including a secondary dwelling) is listed only in the Low, Medium and High density residential, Tourist accommodation, Emerging community, Limited development (landscape residential), Rural and Rural residential zones; elsewhere the 'all other uses' impact row applies. Schedules 6, 7 and 10 of the Planning Regulation 2017 override the scheme (5.3.2(10)). Building work (Table 5.7.1, not involving a change of use) is accepted if minor building work or tied to an accepted use, accepted subject to the applicable use code where it has accepted-development outcomes, and otherwise code assessable — the Building Act building approval is separate. Demolition isn't singled out in Table 5.7.1; only the Heritage and character areas overlay makes it impact assessable. Vegetation clearing that isn't exempt vegetation clearing is code assessable against the Vegetation management code in every zone (Table 5.8.1); filling or excavation over 50 m³ is code assessable except on Rural/Rural residential lots over 5,000 m² (up to 150 m³). Minimum lot sizes sit in Table 9.4.4.3.2 of the Reconfiguring a lot code, not Part 5. Precincts and local plans: Precinct LDR1 (Protected Housing Area) makes a dual occupancy impact assessable in the Low density residential zone; Buderim BUD LPP-1 and Caloundra West CAW LPP-1 make any extra lot impact assessable; the Town of Seaside precinct (Maroochy North Shore MNS LPP-2) accepts any use or building work in accordance with its subdivision permit, otherwise impact; the Palmview declared master planned area follows its Structure Plan; the Emerging community and Tourism zones expect a master plan/approved plan of development that may vary categories; the airport and aerodrome precincts, Kawana, Nambour, Sippy Downs, Mooloolaba and Maroochydore local plans vary business uses (section 5.9). Where premises are in more than one zone, local plan or overlay the highest category applies; an overlay category overrides a zone or local plan category (5.3.2(8)). Many overlays (bushfire, flood, coastal protection, landslide, scenic amenity, regional infrastructure, water resource catchments) bring 'no change' of category but add their overlay code as a benchmark when the development is already assessable.
What else you'll need
- Building approval
- Pool safety certificate
More about Sunshine Coast
- What can you build in Sunshine Coast? Council overview and development applications
- Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
- What Sunshine Coast Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
- A Landbrief site report for your Sunshine Coast address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
- Development applications in Maroochydore
- Development applications in Coolum Beach
- Development applications in Buderim
- Development applications in Yandina
- Development applications in Mooloolaba
- Development applications in Caloundra
- Development applications in Palmview
- Development applications in Beerwah
Other projects in Sunshine Coast
Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeClear treesDemolish
The statewide position on this project: Pool in Queensland.
Read from the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Amendment 27) 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.