ENVS2467 and ENVS6405

Week 5 Practical
Reading LEPs and applying planning controls

This practical focuses on Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) and planning controls, using the Hawkes
Nest area on the mid North Coast, NSW as a case study. In this practical, you will learn how to:

1. Search for property planning information using the ePlanning Spatial Viewer
2. Interpret that information by cross-checking to the relevant Local Environmental Plan
3. Interpret Floor Space Ratio using Lego

Materials: Each student will need to bring a computer to the prac and will work in small groups.

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Exercise 1 – Property Search #1

 Go to the NSW Government Planning Portal ePlanning Spatial View
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/spatialviewer/#/find-a-property/address
 In the top-left of the screen, type in the following address: 11 Dolphin Avenue Hawkes Nest
 Below the address, you’ll see the Lot/Section/Plan no. and the Council where the property is
located.
 On the right side of the screen, you’ll see options for Map Tools, Search Results, SEPP
Results, Development Control Plans, and Contribution Plans. These are the specific results
for the property you just searched for.
 On the left side of the screen, you’ll see the headings for the different strategic map layers.
Select these to change the layers shown on the map in the centre.
 Spend ~10-15 mins exploring the tool. Expand the options and change the layers, then
answer the questions in the tables below. Leave the Land Zoning layer visible.
 To select anywhere on the map, expand Map Tools, and turn on ‘Search on map’.

QUESTIONS:
For 11 Dolphin Avenue, Hawkes Nest, what is the following information?
1. Lot/Section/Plan no 118/-/DP30790

2. Council MID-COAST COUNCIL

3. Local Environmental Plan Great Lakes Environmental Plan
4. Land Zoning R2: Low Density Residential
5. Minimum Lot Size 450m^2
6. Height of Building 8.5m
7. Floor Space Ratio n:1 0.5:1
8. Bushfire Prone Land Vegetation Buffer
9. Acid Sulfate Soils Class 4

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 Expand the property result for Land Zoning, and click on the box with the arrow. It will take
you to the NSW Legislation site and the Great Lakes Local Environmental Plan 2014

 Scroll down until you see find Land Zone R2: Low Density Residential. Click and read through
the information.

QUESTIONS:
For Zone R2 Low Density Residential, what are the objectives of this land use zone? What types of
developments would be permitted here?

Objectives of zone
• To provide for the housing needs of the community within a low density residential
environment.
• To enable other land uses that provide facilities or services to meet the day to day needs of
residents.

Permitted without consent

Home occupations

Permitted with consent

Attached dwellings; Bed and breakfast accommodation; Boarding houses; Boat launching ramps;
Building identification signs; Business identification signs; Camping grounds; Car parks; Caravan
parks; Centre-based child care facilities; Community facilities; Dual occupancies; Dwelling houses;
Educational establishments; Emergency services facilities; Environmental protection works;
Exhibition homes; Flood mitigation works; Group homes; Health consulting rooms; Helipads;
Home-based child care; Home businesses; Hostels; Hotel or motel accommodation; Information
and education facilities; Jetties; Medical centres; Moorings; Multi dwelling housing;
Neighbourhood shops; Oyster aquaculture; Places of public worship; Pond-based aquaculture;
Recreation areas; Recreation facilities (indoor); Respite day care centres; Roads; Secondary
dwellings; Seniors housing; Sewerage systems; Shop top housing; Tank-based aquaculture; Water
recreation structures; Water supply systems; Wharf or boating facilities

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 Expand the property result for Minimum Lot Size, and click to go to the LEP. Scroll down until
you see Section 4.1 Minimum subdivision lot size. Click and read through the information.

QUESTIONS:
What does the minimum subdivision lot size mean? Can land that is 1200 m2, be subdivided into 3
lots if the minimum lot size is 450 m2?

No – minimum lot size would have to be 400m^2

If not, how many subdivisions would be possible? What are the possible subdivision lot sizes?
2 subdivisions are possible – minimum size 450m^2, maximum size 750m^2

 Expand the property result for Height of Building, and click to go to the LEP. Scroll down
until you see Section 4.3 Height of Buildings. Click and read through the information.

QUESTIONS:
What is the maximum building height for this property? Approximately how many storeys would
this be? Refer to the following image from the NSW Planning website for help.

8.5m
3 storeys including a basement as ground floor

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https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Assess-and-Regulate/Development-Assessment/Your-guide-to-
the-DA-process/Getting-started/The-planning-system

QUESTIONS:
Are there any hazards affecting the property that may impact planning approvals?
This land is classified as a vegetation buffer- land nearby is fire prone, but this land specifically
may not be.

Note: Bushfire prone land is given a category and rating according to risk: Category 1 = highest risk,
Category 2 = lower risk, Category 3 = medium risk. The land adjacent to bushfire prone land is
classified as a ‘vegetation buffer’. The width of the buffer varies depending on whether it is Category
1 (100 m), 2 (30 m) or 3 (30 m).

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Exercise 2 – Property Search #2

• Go to the NSW Government Planning Portal ePlanning Spatial View
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/spatialviewer/#/find-a-property/address
• Search for the following 2 properties:
• 108 Booner Street Hawks Nest
• 46 Tuloa Avenue Hawks Nest

QUESTIONS:
What is the Land Use Zoning for 108 Booner Street, Hawks Nest? What does this land use allow?
MU1: Mixed use

Amusement centres; Boarding houses; Boat sheds; Car parks; Centre-based child care facilities;
Charter and tourism boating facilities; Commercial premises; Community facilities; Correctional
centres; Early education and care facilities; Electricity generating works; Entertainment facilities;
Environmental protection works; Exhibition homes; Flood mitigation works; Function centres;
Group homes; Helipads; Home businesses; Hostels; Information and education facilities; Jetties;
Light industries; Local distribution premises; Marinas; Medical centres; Mooring pens; Multi
dwelling housing; Oyster aquaculture; Passenger transport facilities; Places of public worship; Port
facilities; Public administration buildings; Recreation areas; Recreation facilities (indoor);
Recreation facilities (major); Recreation facilities (outdoor); Registered clubs; Research stations;
Residential flat buildings; Respite day care centres; Restricted premises; Roads; Service stations;
Sewerage systems; Shop top housing; Signage; Tank-based aquaculture; Tourist and visitor
accommodation; Vehicle repair stations; Veterinary hospitals; Waste or resource management
facilities; Water recreation structures; Water supply systems; Wharf or boating facilities;
Wholesale supplies

What is the Land Use Zoning for 46 Tuloa Avenue, Hawks Nest? What does this land use allow?

E1: Local Centre

Amusement centres; Artisan food and drink industries; Boarding houses; Centre-based child care
facilities; Commercial premises; Community facilities; Creative industries; Entertainment facilities;
Function centres; High technology industries; Home industries; Hostels; Hotel or motel
accommodation; Information and education facilities; Local distribution premises; Medical
centres; Oyster aquaculture; Places of public worship; Public administration buildings; Recreation
facilities (indoor); Respite day care centres; Service stations; Shop top housing; Tank-based
aquaculture; Veterinary hospitals; Any other development not specified in item 2 or 4
What are the differences between the objectives for each of the land use zones for these
properties?
MU1 Objectives
• To encourage a diversity of business, retail, office and light industrial land uses that generate
employment opportunities.
• To ensure that new development provides diverse and active street frontages to attract
pedestrian traffic and to contribute to vibrant, diverse and functional streets and public spaces.
• To minimise conflict between land uses within this zone and land uses within adjoining zones
To ensure the inclusion and integration of housing to promote housing diversity and community
activity within the business centre.
• To enable a range of tourism-related uses that support the business centre

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E1 Objectives
• To provide a range of retail, business and community uses that serve the needs of people who
live in, work in or visit the area.

• To encourage investment in local commercial development that generates employment

opportunities and economic growth.

• To enable residential development that contributes to a vibrant and active local centre and is
consistent with the Council’s strategic planning for residential development in the area.
• To maximise public transport patronage and encourage walking and cycling.
• To encourage employment opportunities in accessible locations.
46 Tuloa Avenue also has provisions for an active street frontage. What is an active street frontage
and what does it seek to promote?
Active street frontages
(1) The objective of this clause is to promote uses that attract pedestrian traffic along certain
ground floor street frontages in Zone E1 Local Centre.
(2) This clause applies to land identified as “Active Street Frontage” on the Active Street
Frontages Map.
(3) Development consent must not be granted to the erection of a building, or a change of use of
a building, on land to which this clause applies unless the consent authority is satisfied that the
building will have an active street frontage after its erection or change of use.
(4) Despite subclause (3), an active street frontage is not required for any part of a building that is
used for any of the following—
(a) entrances and lobbies (including as part of mixed use development),
(b) access for fire services,
(c) vehicular access.
(5) In this clause, a building has an active street frontage if all premises on the ground floor of the
building facing the street are used for the purposes of business premises or retail premises.

• Using the map, search for:

• Hawks Nest Beach Holiday Park (off Booner St)
• Jimmys Beach Holiday Park (off Coorilla St)
• An additional property of your choosing

Click on the map to show the search results and expand land zoning (If you are unable to
click on the map, go to map tools and enable ‘Search on Map’). Answer the questions
below.

QUESTIONS:
What is the Land Use Zoning for Hawks Nest Beach Holiday Park? What does this land use allow?
Is a caravan park permitted?

RE1: Public recreation

Aquaculture; Boat launching ramps; Camping grounds; Car parks; Caravan parks; Community
facilities; Depots; Eco-tourist facilities; Emergency services facilities; Environmental facilities;
Environmental protection works; Flood mitigation works; Function centres; Heliports; Information
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and education facilities; Jetties; Kiosks; Marinas; Markets; Plant nurseries; Recreation areas;
Recreation facilities (indoor); Recreation facilities (major); Recreation facilities (outdoor);
Registered clubs; Research stations; Restaurants or cafes; Roads; Sewerage systems; Signage;
Waste or resource management facilities; Water recreation structures; Water supply systems;
Wharf or boating facilities

Caravan parks are permitted

What is the Land Use Zoning for Jimmys Beach Holiday Park? What does this land use allow? Is a
caravan park permitted?

C2: Environmental Conservation, C3: Environmental Management

C2: Bed and breakfast accommodation; Building identification signs; Business identification signs;
Car parks; Community facilities; Dwelling houses; Eco-tourist facilities; Emergency services
facilities; Environmental facilities; Environmental protection works; Home-based child care; Home
businesses; Information and education facilities; Oyster aquaculture Research stations; Roads;
Sewerage systems; Water supply systems
C3: Backpackers’ accommodation; Bed and breakfast accommodation; Boat launching ramps; Boat
sheds; Building identification signs; Business identification signs; Camping grounds; Caravan parks;
Car parks; Community facilities; Dual occupancies (attached); Dwelling houses; Eco-tourist
facilities; Emergency services facilities; Environmental facilities; Environmental protection works;
Extensive agriculture; Farm buildings; Farm stay accommodation; Helipads; Home-based child
care; Home businesses; Information and education facilities; Jetties; Kiosks; Oyster aquaculture;
Pond-based aquaculture; Recreation areas; Research stations; Roads; Roadside stalls; Sewerage
systems; Tank-based aquaculture; Water recreation structures; Water supply systems
Address and Land Zoning for Property 3:
Unit 2/13-17 Beach Rd, Hawks Nest NSW 2324 – Bennets by the beach
Land Zonig: MU1
Permitted: Amusement centres; Boarding houses; Boat sheds; Car parks; Centre-based child care
facilities; Charter and tourism boating facilities; Commercial premises; Community facilities;
Correctional centres; Early education and care facilities; Electricity generating works;
Entertainment facilities; Environmental protection works; Exhibition homes; Flood mitigation
works; Function centres; Group homes; Helipads; Home businesses; Hostels; Information and
education facilities; Jetties; Light industries; Local distribution premises; Marinas; Medical centres;
Mooring pens; Multi dwelling housing; Oyster aquaculture; Passenger transport facilities; Places of
public worship; Port facilities; Public administration buildings; Recreation areas; Recreation
facilities (indoor); Recreation facilities (major); Recreation facilities (outdoor); Registered clubs;
Research stations; Residential flat buildings; Respite day care centres; Restricted premises; Roads;
Service stations; Sewerage systems; Shop top housing; Signage; Tank-based aquaculture; Tourist
and visitor accommodation; Vehicle repair stations; Veterinary hospitals; Waste or resource
management facilities; Water recreation structures; Water supply systems; Wharf or boating
facilities; Wholesale supplies

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Exercise 3 – Buffers and Transitions in Land Use Planning and Zoning (class discussion)
 We can draw a transect through Hawks Nest using an aerial photo and compare this to the
Land Zonings identified in the Great Lakes Council LEP 2014. This is shown in the images on
the following page. Also refer to the accompanying materials for more information.

1. What do you think are the reasons for the differences between the observed land use
and the zoned land? (think back to the holiday park examples)

2. How do the various land uses transition across the transect?

• E.g. is there some complementarity or tension between the uses?

3. Have buffers been incorporated into the zoning pattern?1 If so, what are some
examples?

4. Hopefully you’ve seen why Land Zoning is so important to prevent inappropriate

development. If you were tasked with rezoning the land, assuming none of the current
buildings exist, how could you promote greater environmental sustainability?

1. Economic mostly –
2. Land uses are kept as recreational and conservational closer to water spaces, coasts, and
patches of greenery, while mixed use and residential spaces are designated to be more
inland, away from waterways
3. Yes – buffer zones of R2 between conservation and higher/medium density housing
4. Stop caravan parks and building on land made for reservations + environmental
conservation

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‘Buffer’ in the context of land use planning refers to land used to separate or manage
incompatible land uses, often industrial uses and sensitive uses, to ensure land use
compatibility and avoid land use conflict. https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-
strategy/buffers-and-land-use-compatibility

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Hawkes Nest, Mid North Coast

Aerial Photo from Google Maps,
Land use zoning from Great Lakes Council LEP 2014 (Map LZN_010D)
https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/EPI/2014/176/maps
https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/maps/ce48c7ed-711e-493b-a185-21b27b5f02d1/3320_COM_LZN_010D_020_20170724.pdf
n.pdf&psig=AOvVaw21MKPQu8yLKp1geFrzXSNR&ust=1595299049569000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCKCyyZzm2uoCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO

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Exercise 4 – Understanding Gross Floor Area and Floor Space Ratio using Lego
The Floor Space Ratio (FSR, or Floor Area Ratio, FAR) is the maximum allowed floor space that can be
accommodated on a lot to meet future residential and commercial needs within the local planning
area. It is usually defined for land that is zoned residential (R’s) or business/commercial (B’s).

FSR, combined with the building height provisions and setbacks, is a key determinant of how big
houses can be. It also determines how big buildings can be and how many dwellings (e.g.
apartments) are possible. (Note: The physical characteristics of the land are also relevant too in
constraining the development size and location).

The FSR is calculated as:

2
Gross Floor Area (m )
2
Lot Area (m )

Where Gross Floor Area (GFA) is the sum of all floors of a building measured from the external faces
of exterior walls. The images below explain these concepts further.

Source: https://slideplayer.com/slide/10378061/

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Source: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/calculating-floor-area.pdf

To demonstrate, here are some examples of a FSR of 0.5:1 for a 1000 m2 lot. Using the FSR formula,
the maximum gross floor area that is allowed is 500 m2 (or 50 % of 1000 m2). This could be
implemented as follows.

Example 1 – One storey building 50% of site, floor area 500m 2

Example 2 – One storey building 50% of site, floor area 500m 2

Example 3 – Two storey building 25% of site, floor area 500m 2

From: https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Assess-and-Regulate/Development-Assessment/Your-
guide-to-the-DA-process/Getting-started/The-planning-system

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Whereas the following scenarios all represent a FSR of 1:1

LEGO – on-campus
Floor Space Ratio can be difficult to visualise so we will use Lego to demonstrate.

Using a small base plate and Lego bricks (e.g. 4x8 or 6x8 blocks):

1. Construct a building that is one storey high and has a FSR of 0.5:1

2. Construct a building that is two storeys high and has a FSR of 0.5:1

3. Construct a building that is two storeys high and has a FSR of 1:1

4. Construct a building that is four storeys high and has a FSR of 1:1

5. Construct a building with nil front setback, and a FSR of 2:1

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LEGO – online
Repeat the same exercise as above using the Virtual Lego builder online.

Virtual Lego builder: http://www.publishyourdesign.com/design

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