Do I need approval for a shop, café or office in the emerging community zone in Scenic Rim?

Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions). Conditions: Shop, Food and drink outlet and Office are not listed in the Emerging Community Zone table. (Source: Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020, Table 5.5.4.1.)

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

Scenic Rim Regional Council's planning scheme — the Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020 — decides whether a shop, café or office 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

Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions). A shop, café or office is not listed in this residential zone, so it is 'any other use' and requires an impact-assessable development application.

1. Where is the property? (optional — it makes the answer specific)

I don't know my zone — choose my council instead

Council Zone

The zone is on your rates notice, or a Landbrief site report will find it for you.

Zone by zone

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

Zone	What the table says	Conditions	What you'll need
Low Density Residential Zone	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.8.1	A shop, café or office is not listed in this residential zone, so it is 'any other use' and requires an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Low-medium Density Residential Zone	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.9.1	A shop, café or office is not listed in this residential zone, so it is 'any other use' and requires an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Emerging Community Zone	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.4.1	Shop, Food and drink outlet and Office are not listed in the Emerging Community Zone table	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Rural Residential Zone - (Where no precinct applies)	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.16.1	Shops, cafés and offices are not listed in this residential zone, so they fall under the default 'any other use' row and need an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Rural Residential Zone - Rural Residential A Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.16.2	Shop, food and drink outlet and office are not listed in this zone	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Township Zone - (Where no precinct applies)	Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.19.1	shop/office in an existing commercial building (shop ≤250m² GFA) with no more than minor building work; otherwise code assessmentIf not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Township Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Township Zone - Township Residential Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.19.2	Shop, Food and drink outlet and Office are not listed, so the default 'any other use' row applies	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Community Facilities Zone	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.1.1	Shop, Food and drink outlet and Office are not listed in the Community Facilities Zone table	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Conservation Zone	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.2.1	Shop, Food and drink outlet and Office are not listed in the Conservation Zone table	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
District Centre Zone	Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.3.1	If located in an existing commercial building and not involving building work other than minor building workIf not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: District Centre Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Industry Zone	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.5.1	Shop and Office are not listed so are impact-assessable; a Food and drink outlet is code-assessable if not exceeding 200m² GFA and no drive-through	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme, Industry Zone Code
Limited Development Zone - (Where no precinct applies)	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.6.1	A shop, café or office is not listed in this zone, so it falls under 'any other use' and needs an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Limited Development Zone - Flood Land Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.6.2	A shop, café or office is not listed in this precinct, so it falls under 'any other use' and needs an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Limited Development Zone - Historical Subdivision Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.6.3	A shop, café or office is not listed in this precinct, so it falls under 'any other use' and needs an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Local Centre Zone	Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.7.1	if located in an existing commercial building and not involving building work (other than minor building work); otherwise codeIf not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Local Centre Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Major Centre Zone	Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.10.1	if located in an existing commercial building and not involving building work (other than minor building work); otherwise codeIf not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Major Centre Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Major Tourism Zone	Needs a development application (code assessment) Table 5.5.11.1	Shop where not involving convenience retail or a supermarket/department store (impact if an Office, which is not listed)If not met: a development application with impact assessment (neighbours can make submissions).	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Major Tourism Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Minor Tourism Zone	Needs a development application (code assessment) Table 5.5.12.1	Shop if not exceeding 500m² GFA, speciality goods to tourists and not a supermarket/department store (Office is not listed and defaults to impact)If not met: a development application with impact assessment (neighbours can make submissions).	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Minor Tourism Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Mixed Use Zone	Needs a development application (code assessment) Table 5.5.13.1	Shop/Office accepted if in an existing commercial building with no more than minor building work (and shop not a supermarket/department store); otherwise code assessableIf not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Mixed Use Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Mixed Use Zone - Commercial Industry Precinct	Needs a development application (code assessment) Table 5.5.13.2	Shop/Office accepted if in an existing commercial building with no more than minor building work (shop not a supermarket/department store); otherwise code assessableIf not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Mixed Use Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Neighbourhood Centre Zone	Accepted if you meet the requirements Table 5.5.14.1	if located in an existing commercial building, not involving building work other than minor, and (for shop) GFA not exceeding 250m²If not met: a development application with code assessment.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: Neighbourhood Centre Zone Code, Earthworks, Construction and Water Quality Code, General Development Provisions Code, Infrastructure Design Code, Landscaping Code, Parking and Access Code
Recreation and Open Space Zone - (Where no precinct applies)	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.15.1	Shops and offices are not listed in this zone (only a limited food and drink outlet is), so these uses fall under the default 'any other use' row and need an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Recreation and Open Space Zone - Passive Recreation Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.15.2	Shops, cafés and offices are not listed in this precinct, so they fall under the default 'any other use' row and need an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Rural Zone - (Where no precinct applies)	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.17.1	Shop and office are not listed in this zone; a small food and drink outlet is code-assessed	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme, Rural Zone Code
Rural Zone - Rural Escarpment Protection Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.17.2	Shop and office are not listed; a small food and drink outlet is code-assessed	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme, Rural Zone Code
Rural Zone - Tamborine Mountain Rural Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.17.3	Shop and office are not listed; a small food and drink outlet is code-assessed	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme, Rural Zone Code
Special Purpose Zone - (Where no precinct applies)	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.18.1	A shop, café or office is not listed for this zone, so under the default 'any other use' row it needs an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme
Special Purpose Zone - Bromelton State Development Area Precinct	It depends — see below Section 5.5.18	This precinct's material change of use is assessed under Part 10 (Other Plans), not the zone table, so refer to that plan for whether a shop or office needs a development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)
Special Purpose Zone - Bulk Water Storage Facilities Precinct	Needs a development application (impact assessment — neighbours can make submissions) Table 5.5.18.1	A shop, café or office is not listed for this precinct, so under the default 'any other use' row it needs an impact-assessable development application.	Building approval; Food licence (for a café)Assessed against: The Planning Scheme

Overlays that change the answer

Local Heritage Overlay (OM-08). In a Local Heritage Place, material change of use, reconfiguring a lot, and building work or operational work not associated with an MCU all become code assessable against the Local Heritage Overlay Code (so renovations, outbuildings and demolition need a development application). (5.10 Local Heritage Overlay Map OM-08)
Regional Infrastructure Overlay (OM-09-A/OM-09-B). Animal husbandry and cropping stay accepted in the buffer areas/corridors; any other use becomes Accepted subject to requirements against the Regional Infrastructure Overlay Code, and reconfiguring a lot becomes code assessable. (5.10 Regional Infrastructure Overlay Map OM-09-B)
Water Resource Catchments Overlay (OM-10-A). A dwelling house, dual occupancy and home based business stay accepted in a water supply buffer/catchment area; most other uses become Accepted subject to requirements and listed higher-impact uses become code assessable against the Water Resource Catchments Overlay Code. Clearing of native vegetation (non-exempt) is Accepted subject to requirements, and reconfiguring a lot creating additional lots is code assessable. (5.10 Water Resource Catchments Overlay Map - Catchment Areas OM-10-A)

Worth knowing in Scenic Rim

Section 5.7 states there is no building work regulated by the planning scheme, so sheds/carports, extensions, pools, fences and demolition are not assessable development under the scheme in the base case (a Building Act approval from a building certifier is still required) — EXCEPT where an overlay changes this (e.g. Airport Environs, Local Heritage, Flood, Landslide/Steep Slope overlays can make building work Accepted subject to requirements or code assessable). Local utility uses are Accepted in every zone and under every overlay. For subdivision, the 'minimum lot size' noted is the threshold at which ROL is code assessable rather than impact assessable; Low Density and Low-medium Density Residential zones rely on the minimum average lot size in Table 9.4.6.3.2 (not reproduced here) and Rural Residential/Rural thresholds depend on identification on Minimum Lot Size Overlay Map OM-13. Dual occupancy lot-size thresholds differ by precinct and by reticulated sewerage connection (e.g. Township Zone 2000m² sewered / 8000m² unsewered accepted-subject-to-requirements). Precincts are treated as separate zone rows where the scheme publishes a separate table of assessment. Transport Noise Corridor (OM-12), Minimum Lot Size (OM-13), Higher Order Road (OM-14), Road Hierarchy (OM-15), Flood Category Area (OM-6-B) and Streams and Dams (OM-10-B) overlays are information/administrative only and do not change the category of assessment.

What else you'll need

Building approval
Food licence (for a café)

More about Scenic Rim

Other projects in Scenic Rim

Granny flat Dual occupancy Subdivide Shed or carport Extension Pool Fence or wall Home business Townhouses Clear trees Demolish

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

Read from the Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020 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.