Australian planning information is public, but it is scattered across dozens of government systems and written for people who already know the jargon. That is why most owners end up paying someone to look something up that was free all along.
ZoneScout queries each state's own planning databases live, and puts the answer in plain English. No subscription, no account, no sales call.
"Most of what a homeowner needs is already public — it is just buried. If we can hand someone the same starting picture a planner would build, they can walk into that conversation knowing what to ask."
— Ryan, ZoneScout founderDifferent questions need different tools. All three are free and none of them need an account.
Type an address and get its zone, lot size, heritage, flood and bushfire overlays, title and development history — queried live from that state's own planning service.
Search an address →The search in reverse: instead of asking what is at an address, filter a map for the land that matches what you want — by zone, size and overlays.
Open the map →What you can build without a full application — granny flats, decks, sheds, fences, dual occupancy and subdivision — written up for each state, with the source cited and a review date.
Browse the rules →Every state publishes its planning layers as a spatial service, and we read those directly — the same data the state's own map viewer shows you. Nothing is copied into a database of ours and left to go stale.
We ask what covers the whole block, not just the point at the front gate, because a lot can sit across two zones and the answer changes depending which part you build on.
The "what could I do here" panel is arithmetic, not a chatbot. It takes your lot's own figures and the published standards and shows its working, so the same property always gives the same answer.
Where the deciding number is not published for your block, it says so instead of filling the gap in.
We work with experienced town planners around Australia who can take a project from first idea through to an approved DA. If you want to talk one through, the consultation is free and connects you with a qualified planner who knows your area.
Because the data already belongs to the public, and a lookup should not cost anything. The tools stay free for everyone.
When someone wants to go further than a lookup, we introduce them to a planner — that referral is what pays for the site. You are never charged, and nothing is held back behind a signup.
Spotted something wrong, or want to talk a project through? Email hello@zonescout.au — corrections especially welcome, since government layers change without notice.
General guidance only. ZoneScout reads published government planning data and summarises published standards. It is not professional planning advice and does not account for everything that applies to an individual property. Planning instruments and mapping change without notice — always verify with your local council or the relevant state planning portal before making a decision or starting work.