What can I build in the RU1 zone on the Central Coast?

What is the RU1 zone for?

RU1 exists to support primary production. Its objectives are to keep farming sustainable, to encourage a diversity of rural enterprises, to stop productive land being fragmented, to protect high quality agricultural land, water catchments and land of high ecological value, and to keep conflict with neighbouring zones down. Housing is allowed, but it has to sit comfortably beside farming rather than replace it.

Can I build a house on RU1 land?

Only on a lot that has what is often called a dwelling entitlement. Clause 4.2B of the Central Coast LEP 2022 says consent must not be granted for a house or dual occupancy in RU1 unless the lot meets one of its tests. The main ones are that the lot is at least the minimum lot size shown on the map, or that it was created before the plan commenced and a house was permissible on it immediately before. Clause 4.2C adds that a lot created by closing a road cannot have a house unless it meets the minimum lot size.

This is the first thing I check on any rural block. A lot without an entitlement can still be sold as land, but it may never take a home. A section 10.7 planning certificate states whether a development standard fixes minimum land dimensions for a house on the lot, and council can confirm the rest.

What else can I build on RU1 land?

With consent, RU1 permits dual occupancies, granny flats, rural workers' dwellings, bed and breakfast accommodation and farm stay accommodation. Townhouses, attached dwellings, apartments and shop top housing are prohibited. The table below shows the housing types for this zone.

A granny flat is limited by clause 5.5 to the greater of 60 square metres or 30% of the main house's floor area. The design controls for a dual occupancy are in the dual occupancy chapter of the Central Coast DCP, which you can find through my DCP and LEP cheat sheet.

What should I check before buying RU1 land?

After the entitlement, check the hazards and the environmental layers. Rural land is often bush fire prone, creeks bring flood mapping, and the Site Checker flags biodiversity, riparian and drinking water catchment mapping. On land mapped as drinking water catchment, clause 7.2 requires council to be satisfied that the development avoids significant effects on water quality and flows, or minimises them where they cannot be avoided, and council looks closely at how wastewater is treated and disposed of. Check access, power and water supply, and whether the block is in a mine subsidence district.

For the design guide see new homes, or book a free chat and I will look at the land with you.