MBRC Planning Scheme - Dwelling house

A dwelling house means a residential use of premises involving:

1. One dwelling for a single household and any domestic outbuildings associated with the dwelling or
2. One dwelling for a single household, a secondary dwelling and any domestic outbuildings associated with either dwelling. 

The Better Housing Amendment to the current MBRC Planning Scheme 2016, which commenced on 30 October 2024, made changes to the requirements for a Dwelling house in certain locations. View the key policy changes for a Dwelling house under version 7 of the MBRC Planning Scheme 2016.

Do I need Council approval?

A Dwelling house is generally accepted development subject to requirements and therefore may not require a development approval from Council if it is located in one of the following zones or local plan precincts:

• Community facilities zone - Abbey precinct
• Emerging community zone (all precincts)
• General residential zone (all precincts)
• Rural zone (all precincts)
• Rural residential zone
• Township zone - Residential precinct
• Redcliffe Kippa-Ring local plan - Interim residential precinct
• Caboolture West local plan - Rural living precinct, or as an interim activity in the Urban living precinct, Town centre precinct and Enterprise and employment precinct.

A Dwelling house (including extensions) may require a development approval from Council when:

• It does not comply with one or more of the requirements for accepted development for values and constraints criteria in the Dwelling house code;
• It does not comply with one or more of the requirements for accepted development in the relevant zone code;
• It does not comply with one or more of the requirements for accepted development in the Coastal hazard overlay code or Flood hazard overlay code; or
• It is in a zone or local plan precinct not listed above.

In certain circumstances where a dwelling house does not require a development approval, it may instead require a referral to Council for assessment in accordance with State Government planning regulations.

Dwelling house code

The Dwelling house code ensures residential development is appropriate and creates liveable, safe and attractive environments. The code applies when assessing Material change of use and Building work for dwelling houses in:

• General residential zone (all precincts)
• Emerging community zone - Transition precinct (if on a developed lot)
• Redcliffe Kippa-Ring local plan – Interim residential precinct
• Caboolture West local plan - Urban living precinct (where not an interim activity).

The Dwelling house code is not applicable to dwelling houses in any other zone or precinct. Instead, dwelling house requirements are contained in the relevant zone code. The Dwelling house code contains assessment benchmarks (requirements) for:

• built form (e.g. height, setbacks, site cover)
• car parking and driveways
• waste and utilities
• secondary dwellings
• domestic outbuildings (e.g. sheds, garages and carports)
• values and constraints.

Assessment benchmarks (requirements) for a dwelling house are contained in either the Dwelling house code (section 9.3.1) or relevant zone code in Part 6 of the MBRC Planning Scheme. Planning scheme policy – Residential design provides additional information and guidance about satisfying assessment benchmarks identified in the planning scheme.