Duplex and dual occupancy in Wollongong: zoning, lot size and council controls

A duplex or dual occupancy is not allowed on every lot. Three things decide whether yours can take one.

Duplex and dual occupancy: the terms

A dual occupancy is two dwellings on one lot. A duplex is the common form: two attached homes, often with the lot later subdivided. Boutique terrace houses and custom townhouses are related multi-residential forms. Which of these a lot can take is a planning question before it is a building question.

The three things that decide it

1. Zoning: the land use zone set in the local environmental plan (LEP) says whether dual occupancy is permitted.
2. Lot size: the lot has to meet the minimum size and frontage the controls require.
3. Council controls: the council's development control plan (DCP) sets design controls, such as setbacks, car parking and landscaping, for Wollongong City Council and for neighbouring councils such as Shellharbour City Council.

The approval pathway

Many duplexes go through a development application (DA) or a complying development certificate (CDC), depending on whether they meet the standards. See exempt, CDC and DA pathways explained. Check this before you buy a lot you plan to build on.

Check before you commit

• Get a land assessment to confirm what the lot can take.
• Ask what the contract covers. See fixed-price building contracts in NSW.
• If the duplex will share a pool or other facilities, plan the ownership early.

Duplex and dual occupancy builders in Wollongong start with that assessment.

Common questions