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02
Design rules
The numeric limits your design has to hit, and the ones that vary by council.
The basics — free
- The complying-development floor area cap is 60 m². Design above it and you have chosen the DA pathway, whether you meant to or not.
- Setbacks, height limits and private open space requirements all apply, and several vary by council rather than being state-wide.
- A secondary dwelling must stay on the same title - the lot cannot be subdivided to sell it separately.
Working detail — locked
Pay once, it's yours
4 detailed points on this stage alone, plus every other stage, the cost calculator, and the sourced eligibility detail.
Where this stage costs people money
Designing to 65-70 m² because it 'felt close enough', then discovering the whole application has to go the DA route - months longer and assessed on merit.