The information in this section may help if you are planning a small-scale residential project like:
- building or extending a home
- adding a secondary dwelling (e.g. granny flat), auxiliary unit or dual occupancy
- adding an outbuilding (e.g. shed, carport)
- using a caravan onsite
- starting a home-based business
- adding an advertising device
- constructing a driveway crossover
- subdividing.
To find out the requirements for any of these projects and to find out if you need a development application, you can:
- see Assessment criteria and categories of development
- use the planning enquiry tool in the Logan PD Hub
- download our residential checksheets (for material change of use or building work assessable against the planning scheme (MCU, BWAP Checksheet (PDF 696 KB)), or where Concurrence Agency Referral (CAR Checksheet (PDF 399 KB) to Council is required) to help determine the right type of application if you are:
- proposing a new home or secondary dwelling (e.g. granny flat) or dual occupancy (which may be an auxiliary unit),
- undertaking an extension to any of these structures, or
- establishing a Class 10A domestic structure (e.g. a carport, shed or garage).
For more information about a dwelling house, secondary dwelling, auxiliary unit or dual occupancy, please download our Domestic housing fact sheet(PDF, 1MB).
A dwelling house is where land is used for residential purposes. It can include domestic outbuildings, extensions and secondary dwellings.
A secondary dwelling (e.g. granny flat) is a dwelling that:
- is self-contained and is beside, behind, below or above the primary dwelling house
- can be attached to or detached from the primary dwelling house
- is on the same lot
- has the same owner
- cannot be subdivided
- cannot have a separate title
- has restrictions including:
- a size limit of 70m2 if located in a residential zone on a lot less than 1,000m2, or
- a size limit of 100m2 otherwise.
Infrastructure charges apply for Secondary dwellings.
For more information request a call back from a Planning Officer.
An auxiliary unit is a dwelling that:
- may be occupied by different households (e.g. the auxiliary unit could be rented out to someone else, other than a family member of the primary dwelling)
- is located on a lot with a minimum size of 450m2
- has a maximum of two bedrooms, one kitchen and one living space
- has a size limit of:
- 70m2 if located in a residential zone and on a lot less than 1,000m2
- 70m2 if located in the emerging community zone and on a lot less than 1,000m2, or
- 100m2 otherwise.
A dual occupancy is a premises that has two dwellings on one lot, built for two separate households (e.g. a duplex).
Dual occupancy dwellings may have different owners and separate titles. A dual occupancy is not a multiple dwelling (multiple dwellings have more than two dwellings, like a set of units).
Infrastructure charges apply to auxiliary units and dual occupancy dwellings. For more information, please see Infrastructure planning and charges.
For more information request a call back from a Planning Officer.
A domestic outbuilding is the term given to a non-habitable structure like a private garage, carport or shed.
These are known as class 10a buildings under the National Construction Code (Building Code of Australia).
Do I need a building approval?
Yes, even if Council approval is needed, almost all domestic outbuildings need a building approval.
You will need to get a building approval from a private building certifier for all buildings over 10 square metres.
For more information about private building certifiers, please see Private building certifiers.
Do I need a development approval?
Most domestic outbuildings are accepted development under the planning scheme and will not need a development approval.
If the building does not comply with all of the applicable acceptable outcomes of the Dual Occupancy and Dwelling House Code of the Logan Planning Scheme 2015, you will need to lodge a development application.
The Dual Occupancy and Dwelling House Code outlines all of the requirements from the planning scheme that apply to Dual Occupancy (Auxiliary Units), Dwelling Houses and domestic outbuildings.
To make sure that all relevant matters are covered and your application is ready to be lodged with us download our residential checksheets:
To make sure that all relevant matters are covered and your application is ready to be lodged with us, please download our Residential (CAR) Checksheet (PDF 393 KB) or Residential (MCU, BWAP) Checksheet (PDF 696 KB). The checksheets contain information to help you work out which checksheet applies to your proposed development.
When you are deciding where to put the building on your property it is important to know the location of infrastructure like water and sewer mains. To build near to this infrastructure, the building may need to be setback or the foundations may need to be built to a higher construction standard.
The provisions for building over or near infrastructure are set out in the Queensland Development Code (QDC) Part 1.4. – Building over or near relevant infrastructure.
For more information about building near infrastructure, please see Building over or near a sewer or water main.
What are the size restrictions for domestic outbuildings?
In most cases the QDC will set the allowable size of a domestic outbuilding.
A maximum floor area of 150 square metres is permitted for buildings located in the following zones:
- Acreage precinct or Small acreage precinct of the Low density residential zone
- Emerging community zone
- Environmental management and conservation zone
- Rural zone, or
- Rural residential zone.
If the floor area exceeds 150 square metres but is not more than 300 square metres, the table below sets out the minimum side and rear boundary setbacks to be achieved for the development to proceed without approval from us. The combined total floor area of all domestic outbuildings on the site must not exceed 300 square metres.
| Zone |
Minimum side and rear boundary clearance |
|
Emerging community zone
Low density residential zone (Acreage and Small acreage precinct)
Rural residential zone
|
6 metres
|
|
Environmental management and conservation zone
Rural zone
|
20 metres
|
If the proposed floor area of your domestic outbuilding is not greater than 300 square metres and complies with all other applicable acceptable outcomes from the Dual Occupancy and Dwelling House Code, a development approval is not required from us.
A development application is required to be lodged with us if any of the following occur:
- the proposed floor area of your domestic outbuilding exceeds 300 square metres, or
- the combined total floor area of your proposed domestic outbuilding and all existing domestic outbuildings on the site will exceed 300 square metres, or
- the proposed floor area of your domestic outbuilding exceeds 150 square metres and does not provide the minimum side and rear boundary setbacks set out above.
How do I apply for a development permit?
If the domestic outbuilding is not accepted development, a development permit is required before the activity can be carried out. You will need to lodge a building works assessable against the Logan Planning Scheme (BWAP) application.
For more information about how to lodge your application, please see Application forms and lodgement.
How much will it cost?
The fee for lodging a development application will vary depending on the type and size of the development, the category of assessment, and other factors. These fees are set by resolution of Council.
For more information about fees and payment methods, please see Fees, charges and payments.
For more information request a call back from a Planning Officer.
A person may temporarily live in a caravan or relocatable home on an existing residential property for up to 180 days per calendar year if:
- they have previously lived in a dwelling on the same property but the dwelling has been destroyed or is not fit to live in, or
- building work is being carried out for a dwelling on the same property.
Living in a caravan will also require compliance with the relevant local laws.
For more information about a dwelling house, please download our Domestic housing fact sheet(PDF, 1MB) or see Dwelling house and secondary dwellings on this page.
Home-based businesses are generally operated on a small scale by the residents of the home and do not have more than two workers who do not live there.
Home-based businesses are dwellings first and businesses second. They are intended to be compatible with the character of the area and not impact the surrounding residents. Generally, home-based businesses are small scale, operated by the residents of the dwelling and do not need more than two non-resident employees.
Some examples include:
- bed and breakfast
- farm stay
- home office
- home-based childcare
- home-based food and drink business.
It does not include an:
- office
- shop
- warehouse
- transport depot
- hobby.
Do I need an approval?
A development approval is not needed if the home-based business complies with the requirements in the Logan Planning Scheme 2015, i.e. complies with all of the acceptable outcomes of the applicable codes and meets the requirements in the category of development and assessment table.
If the proposal cannot meet one of these requirements, the development becomes assessable development and you need to lodge a development application before the use can be carried out.
As a general rule, if the home-based business:
- involves more than one non-resident employee or has a use area greater than 50 square metres it becomes code assessable
- involves more than two non-resident employees, has a use area greater than 100 square metres or involves an industrial activity it requires impact assessment, which requires public notification to be undertaken.
To find out if you need to lodge a development application, the zone of the property must be identified. You can use the Property report tool in the Logan PD Hub to find out a property zoning.
When you know the zoning of the property, you can:
- refer to the Logan Planning Scheme 2015, Part 5 (Tables of Assessment) which show if the development is code assessable or impact assessable and outlines the assessment benchmarks
- use our planning enquiry tool in the Logan PD Hub to:
- select a property
- select an activity, in this case a Home-Based Business
- click on your proposed development to get a report which shows you:
- the criteria triggering the need for a development application
- applicable development codes from the Logan Planning Scheme 2015
- §other selected considerations, e.g. size and height constraints, setbacks.
The assessment benchmarks may include the Home-based business code (Part 9 of the planning scheme) and the Servicing, Access and Parking Code.
Development applications are subject to a number of conditions that depend on the type, size, location and circumstances of the proposal. Conditions will be set for the home-based business, like restricting the hours of operation or the number of vehicle trips.
Some activities like food preparation will need licensing. For more information about Licensing, please see Licensing.
How do I get a development permit?
If the home-based business is not accepted development a development permit is required before the activity can be carried out. You will need to lodge a Material Change of Use development application.
For more information about how to lodge your application, please see Application forms and lodgement.
How much will it cost?
The fee for lodging a development application will vary depending on the type and size of the development, the category of assessment, and other factors. These fees are set by resolution of Council.
For more information about fees and payment methods, please see Fees, charges and payments.
Will I have to pay infrastructure charges?
Infrastructure charges do not apply to home-based businesses.
For more information request a call back from a Planning Officer.
Subdividing includes:
- subdividing a lot to make two or more lots
- combining (amalgamating) two or more lots
- rearranging boundaries
- creating an easement to give access from a road.
You can find out if a property can be subdivided from information in the Logan PD Hub. To use the Hub, please:
- find your property either by typing the address or using the map search
- select the planning enquiry tool and click on What can I do here?
- select (double-click on) the activity (e.g. Reconfiguring a lot).
The hub will generate a planning enquiry report that will tell you:
- relevant details about the property (including size, zone and local plan)
- whether or not a development application is required, and the criteria for any application
- the applicable development codes (rules) from the Logan Planning Scheme 2015
- any overlays that affect the property (e.g. flooding, bushfire hazard, vegetation, steep slopes) and may have an impact on how a development is done
- other rules (controls) like minimum and average lot sizes, access widths and minimum frontages.
Subdividing a lot is either code assessable or impact assessable and will require a development application. For more information about the criteria for code and impact assessment and minimum lot sizes in different zones, please see Reconfiguring a lot.
If the proposed subdivision increases the demand on trunk infrastructure (e.g. water supply, major roads, sewer network), charges will apply. Infrastructure charges are generally payable before approval of the plan of subdivision. To help you identify these charges, which will depend on the location and scale of the development, you can use the infrastructure charges estimator in the Logan PD Hub.
There are important Commonwealth telecommunications rules that you need to comply with. For more information, please visit Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
To help you find out applicable fees and charges for a subdivision, please refer to our Checklist of subdivision project costs. This is a spreadsheet (in Microsoft Excel format) that you can download and enter information to calculate estimated total costs.
For more information request a call back from a Planning Officer.