Shops, cafés and offices in Bundaberg — do you need approval?

Zone by zone

Shop / Food and drink outlet / Office. Residential zones first.

Overlays that change the answer

• Airport and aviation facilities overlay (within or under operational airspace). A change of use that the zone table makes accepted or accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable if its buildings or works intrude into operational airspace or it emits gaseous plumes, smoke, dust, ash or steam. (Table 5.9.1 Airport and aviation facilities overlay – operational airspace)
• Airport and aviation facilities overlay (public safety area). A change of use the zone table makes accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable in the public safety area; a dwelling house, animal husbandry, cropping and a home based business (other than a bed and breakfast or farm stay) are excluded. (Table 5.9.1 Airport and aviation facilities overlay – public safety area)
• Airport and aviation facilities overlay (aviation facility building restricted area). A change of use that would be accepted or accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable if it builds a temporary or permanent structure that encroaches into a building restricted area (or within 1 km of the Sloping Hummock VHF facility); building work alone is not changed. (Table 5.9.1 Airport and aviation facilities overlay – building restricted area)
• Coastal protection overlay (Sea turtle sensitive area). A change of use (other than a dwelling house or a rural use) becomes impact assessable if it exceeds the maximum building height in the zone code; building work other than for a dwelling house or rural use that exceeds that height becomes code assessable. (Table 5.9.1 Coastal protection overlay – Sea turtle sensitive area)
• Extractive resources overlay (resource/processing area). A change of use that would be accepted or accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable inside a key resource/processing area — including a dwelling house; only animal husbandry, cropping and a home based business (other than a bed and breakfast or farm stay) are excluded. (Table 5.9.1 Extractive resources overlay – resource/processing area)
• Extractive resources overlay (separation area). A change of use the zone table makes accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable in a resource separation area, unless it is in an existing building or is a dwelling house, home based business (not a bed and breakfast or farm stay) or most rural uses. (Table 5.9.1 Extractive resources overlay – separation area)
• Flood hazard overlay (flood hazard area or storm tide inundation area). A change of use the zone table makes accepted subject to requirements becomes code assessable against the Flood hazard overlay code; a dwelling house, home based business (not a bed and breakfast or farm stay), animal husbandry, cropping and outdoor sport and recreation are excluded. Excavation or filling that would be accepted becomes code assessable. Building work for a dwelling house keeps its category but must meet the Flood hazard overlay code. (Table 5.9.1 Flood hazard overlay)
• Heritage and neighbourhood character overlay (local heritage place). Building work that alters, demolishes, relocates or removes a local heritage place is code assessable, and so is a change of use (otherwise accepted or accepted subject to requirements) that results in such building work. Development next door to a heritage place keeps its category. (Table 5.9.1 Heritage and neighbourhood character overlay – heritage place)
• Heritage and neighbourhood character overlay (neighbourhood character area). Demolishing, relocating or removing a Victorian, Federation or Interwar building, or extending it in front of or visibly from the street, enclosing a front verandah, changing front/side cladding or raising it, is code assessable; a change of use involving building work (other than an internal fit-out) that would otherwise be accepted or accepted subject to requirements is code assessable. (Table 5.9.1 Heritage and neighbourhood character overlay – neighbourhood character area)

Worth knowing in Bundaberg

Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme 2015 (Version 6.6, effective 31 July 2026), Part 5. 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 5.5.1 says impact (Low density residential, Rural and Rural residential below the minimum lot size; Emerging community and Limited development zones generally); building and operational work are accepted unless the tables say otherwise (section 5.3.2). Accepted development subject to requirements that doesn't meet the nominated acceptable outcomes becomes code assessable (section 5.3.3). A dwelling house includes a secondary dwelling (granny flat); Schedule 6 of the Planning Regulation 2017 can make a dwelling house accepted regardless of these tables. Building work for a dwelling house (sheds, extensions, pools, fences) is accepted subject to the Dwelling house code and Transport and parking code in all zones (Table 5.6.1); a building approval under the Building Act is still needed. Vegetation clearing that isn't 'exempt vegetation clearing' (Schedule 1) is code assessable against the Vegetation management code in every zone (Table 5.7.1); state Vegetation Management Act rules apply separately. Excavation or filling over 50 m³ (or filling over 10 m³ / 150 mm average depth, or excavation deeper than 1 m) is code assessable unless on Rural zoned land for a rural activity. Minimum lot sizes live in Table 9.3.4.3.2 of the Reconfiguring a lot code, which isn't in Part 5. Precincts: Medium density residential MDRZ1 (Bundaberg West medical/health hub) and MDRZ2 (Barolin Street office precinct); Principal centre PCZ2 (City centre riverfront) and PCZ3 (City centre frame); Limited development LDZ1 (Limited residential); District centre rows differ for Childers and Gin Gin; Local centre short-term accommodation/resort rows apply in Bargara. Community facilities zone: a use annotated on the zone map is accepted (footprint unchanged) or code assessable. Special purpose zone: development in the Bundaberg State Development Area is decided by the Coordinator-General and Strategic Port Land by the Port Authority. Local plan: the Bundaberg Health and Enterprise Precinct local plan (Table 5.8.1, Emerging community zone land) overrides the zone — in its Low-Medium Density Residential Precinct a dwelling house, dual occupancy and home based business are accepted subject to requirements and a multiple dwelling of up to three dwellings on a lot of at least 600 m² is accepted subject to requirements (code otherwise); in its Medium-High Density Residential Precinct dual occupancy, home based business and multiple dwelling are code assessable; shops, cafés and offices are accepted subject to requirements or code assessable in the Health and Knowledge Sub-Precincts; reconfiguring a lot is code assessable in its Health and Knowledge, residential and Parkland precincts. Overlays (Table 5.9.1): most overlays only add the overlay code as a benchmark without changing the category (acid sulfate soils, agricultural land, biodiversity areas, bushfire hazard, coastal management district/erosion prone area/setback line, extractive transport route, gas pipeline and electricity buffers, steep land, water resource catchments). Overlays that do change the category are in overlay_triggers: airport operational airspace, public safety area and building restricted area; sea turtle sensitive area (over-height development becomes impact); extractive resource/processing and separation areas; flood hazard (not for a dwelling house); local heritage places and neighbourhood character areas (alterations and demolition become code assessable); and infrastructure buffers (wastewater, waste, road/rail/cane rail corridors). The airport lighting and wildlife hazard buffers make specific uses (putrescible waste, aquaculture, abattoirs, intensive animal industry, showgrounds, constructed waterbodies) code assessable, and excavation or filling in a flood hazard area, gas pipeline buffer or on steep land becomes code assessable. Where premises are in more than one zone, local plan or overlay, the highest category applies to the part affected.

What else you'll need

• Building approval
• Food licence (for a café)

More about Bundaberg

• What can you build in Bundaberg? Council overview and development applications
• Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
• What Bundaberg Regional Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
• A Landbrief site report for your Bundaberg address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
• Development applications in Bargara
• Development applications in Innes Park
• Development applications in Burnett Heads
• Development applications in Branyan
• Development applications in Woodgate
• Development applications in Elliott Heads
• Development applications in Moore Park Beach
• Development applications in Gooburrum

Other projects in Bundaberg

Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesClear treesDemolish

The statewide position on this project: Shop, café or office in Queensland.