Township zone in Queensland — what you can build
The zone for smaller rural towns and villages, where homes, shops, a pub and community buildings share the same streets. It is more mixed than a city suburb; a corner shop or workshop next door is part of the deal.
In short: Houses and extras are usually accepted; shops and businesses are often treated more leniently than in a city suburb. 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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Banana — listed as “Township Zone Code”
Banana Shire Planning Scheme 2021
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Brisbane
Brisbane City Plan 2014
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- Subdivide: Impact
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Impact
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Code
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Cairns
CairnsPlan 2016
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- 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: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Code
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted if requirements met
-
Central Highlands
Central Highlands Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016 (Amendment No. 7)
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Code
- Subdivide: Accepted if requirements met
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Code
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted if requirements met
-
Gold Coast
Gold Coast City Plan (City Plan) — Part 5 Tables of assessment (v14, 2026-09-29) · Minimum lot size to subdivide 600 m²
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Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay Regional Council Planning Scheme 2016 (Version 8, 2026-09-11)
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Gladstone
Gladstone Regional Council Planning Scheme (Version 2.1)
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Code
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
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Ipswich
Ipswich City Plan 2025
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Accepted if requirements met
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted if requirements met
- Extension: Accepted if requirements met
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Code
- Shop, café or office: Code
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted if requirements met
-
Livingstone
Livingstone Planning Scheme 2018 · Minimum lot size to subdivide 4,000 m²
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Impact
- 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: Accepted
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Code
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
-
Mackay
Mackay Region Planning Scheme 2017
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Rockhampton
Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme 2015 (Version 5, 2025-03-28)
- Granny flat: Accepted
- Dual occupancy: Accepted if requirements met
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted
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Scenic Rim — listed as “Township Zone - (Where no precinct applies)”
Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Accepted if requirements met
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Accepted if requirements met
- Clear trees: Accepted if requirements met
- Demolish: Accepted
-
Scenic Rim — listed as “Township Zone - Township Residential Precinct”
Scenic Rim Planning Scheme 2020
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Accepted if requirements met
- Subdivide: Code
- Shed or carport: Accepted
- Extension: Accepted
- Pool: Accepted
- Fence or wall: Accepted
- Home business: Accepted if requirements met
- Townhouses: Impact
- Shop, café or office: Impact
- Clear trees: Accepted
- Demolish: Accepted
-
Toowoomba
Toowoomba Regional Planning Scheme 2012 (Version 29) · Minimum lot size to subdivide 500 m²
- Granny flat: Accepted if requirements met
- Dual occupancy: Accepted if requirements met
- 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
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 township 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 no development application if the build meets the council's requirements. The split was: 2 accepted, 12 accepted if requirements met (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 township 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 no development application if the build meets the council's requirements. The split was: 5 accepted if requirements met, 5 code, 4 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 township 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: 1 accepted if requirements met, 12 code, 1 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.
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 residential zones
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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.