Major centre zone in Queensland — what you can build
A large shopping, office and service hub serving a wide area, such as a regional shopping district. Nearby residents see heavy traffic and large buildings, and apartments often form part of the mix.
In short: Shops, offices and apartments usually need a development application; smaller changes are often simpler. The table below gives the real answer, council by council.
What the tables of assessment say, council by council
Each council's planning scheme has a table of assessment: for every zone and every kind of project, it says whether you need no application, or a development application and how it is assessed. Each coloured tag links to that council's page for the project. Read from 13 councils.
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Brisbane
Brisbane City Plan 2014
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Bundaberg
Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme 2015
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Code
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted if requirements met
- Fence or wall: Accepted if requirements met
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted
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Cairns
CairnsPlan 2016
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted if requirements met
- Fence or wall: Accepted if requirements met
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted if requirements met
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Ipswich
Ipswich City Plan 2025
- Granny flat: Code
- Dual occupancy: Code
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted
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Livingstone
Livingstone Planning Scheme 2018 · Minimum lot size to subdivide 1,000 m²
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Code
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted if requirements met
- Home business: Impact
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
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Mackay
Mackay Region Planning Scheme 2017
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Noosa
Noosa Plan 2020
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Redland
Redland City Plan 2018
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Accepted if requirements met
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
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Rockhampton
Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 (Version 5, 2025-03-28)
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Accepted if requirements met
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted
- Townhouses: Accepted if requirements met
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
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Scenic Rim
Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
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Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 (Amendment 27)
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Code
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted if requirements met
- Fence or wall: Accepted if requirements met
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Code
- Demolish: Accepted if requirements met
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Toowoomba
Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme 2012 (Version 29)
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted if requirements met
- Fence or wall: Accepted if requirements met
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted if requirements met
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Townsville
Townsville City Plan
- Granny flat: Impact
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted
- Townhouses: Accepted if requirements met
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted
What the tags mean
- Accepted — no planning application needed.
- Accepted if requirements met — no application if your plans meet the council's code requirements; if they do not, it becomes a development application.
- Code — a development application assessed against the planning codes, without public notification.
- Impact — a development application with public notification: neighbours can make submissions and object. How to object to a development application.
- Not allowed — the planning scheme does not allow it in this zone.
“Varies” means the table depends on the details of the project. An overlay such as flood or bushfire can turn an accepted project into a development application — see planning overlays explained.
Common questions
Can I build a granny flat in the major centre zone?
It varies by council. Across the 13 councils whose tables of assessment we have read, the most common answer for a granny flat in this zone is a development application with public notification (impact assessment). The split was: 1 accepted if requirements met, 1 code, 11 impact (each council zone counted once). Check your own council's table on this page, and whether an overlay such as flood or bushfire applies to your lot.
Do I need approval for a dual occupancy in the major centre zone?
It varies by council. Across the 13 councils whose tables of assessment we have read, the most common answer for a dual occupancy in this zone is a development application with public notification (impact assessment). The split was: 1 accepted if requirements met, 5 code, 7 impact (each council zone counted once). Check your own council's table on this page, and whether an overlay such as flood or bushfire applies to your lot.
Can I subdivide land in the major centre zone?
It varies by council. Across the 13 councils whose tables of assessment we have read, the most common answer for subdividing in this zone is a development application assessed against the codes (code assessment). The split was: 13 code (each council zone counted once). Check your own council's table on this page, and whether an overlay such as flood or bushfire applies to your lot.
Is your lot in this zone?
A Landbrief site report checks any Queensland address against its zone and every planning layer that applies — $49 as a PDF. Check an address.
Other centre zones
Principal centreDistrict centreLocal centreNeighbourhood centreSpecialised centreCentreMixed use
Read from each council's planning scheme 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.