C2 Environmental Conservation zone in NSW

C2 is a zone in the NSW Standard Instrument, and 91 of the 147 council Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) use it. This page shows what the zone is for and what those councils allow in it, counted from each council’s own land use table.

Used by: 91 of the 147 council LEPs
Dwelling houses: allowed in 15 of the 91
Uses the table doesn’t name: prohibited in 91 of the 91
Tables as at: 19 August 2026

What the zone is for

Every council that uses C2 includes these objectives, word for word. They come from the Standard Instrument, the template all NSW council plans are built on:

To protect, manage and restore areas of high ecological, scientific, cultural or aesthetic values.
To prevent development that could destroy, damage or otherwise have an adverse effect on those values.

42 of the 91 LEPs add objectives of their own, so the full list for a property depends on its council.

Can you build a house in C2?

A dwelling house is allowed in 15 of the 91 LEPs that use C2 (with consent in 15). It is prohibited in 76.

Whether a particular lot can take a house also depends on rules mapped to that lot, such as the minimum lot size, so check the address before relying on this.

Allowed in most councils (4)

Each number is a count of LEPs, not properties. No consent needed means the use itself doesn’t need a development application. With consent means it does. Can’t say is not a ban: either that council has no rule for the use, or it is a broad term whose types the table treats differently, so it depends on the type of project.

Use	No consent needed	With consent	Prohibited
Oyster aquaculture	0	91	0
Environmental protection works	47	43	1
Environmental facilities	1	82	8
Roads	6	72	13

Councils differ (9)

These uses are allowed by some councils that use C2 and prohibited by others, so the answer depends on which council the land is in.

Use	No consent needed	With consent	Prohibited	Can’t say
Flood mitigation works	3	41	47	0
Recreation areas	0	40	51	0
Information and education facilities	0	35	56	0
Building identification signs	1	31	59	0
Business identification signs	0	27	64	0
Research stations	0	27	64	0
Water reticulation systems	5	22	64	0
Extensive agriculture	6	19	62	4
Water supply systems	0	17	59	15

Prohibited in most councils (27)

Most of the LEPs that use C2 prohibit these, either by naming them or through the catch-all rule below.

Show all 27

Use	No consent needed	With consent	Prohibited
Business premises	0	0	91
Hotel or motel accommodation	0	0	91
Industries	0	0	91
Local distribution premises	0	0	91
Multi dwelling housing	0	0	91
Pond-based aquaculture	0	0	91
Recreation facilities (major)	0	0	91
Residential flat buildings	0	0	91
Restricted premises	0	0	91
Retail premises	0	0	91
Seniors housing	0	0	91
Service stations	0	0	91
Tank-based aquaculture	0	0	91
Warehouse or distribution centres	0	0	91
Boat launching ramps	0	10	81
Boat sheds	0	10	81
Emergency services facilities	0	11	80
Camping grounds	0	12	79
Bed and breakfast accommodation	0	13	78
Home businesses	2	11	78
Jetties	0	14	77
Dwelling houses	0	15	76
Home occupations	15	0	76
Community facilities	0	17	74
Water recycling facilities	0	17	74
Water recreation structures	0	18	73
Eco-tourist facilities	0	19	72

Uses the table doesn’t name

Every council’s table ends with a rule for anything it hasn’t listed. 91 of the 91 LEPs prohibit any use their C2 table doesn’t name.

That is why a use can be counted as prohibited above in more councils than actually name it.

What the zone doesn’t tell you

Lot size, height and floor space are set on the LEP maps for each property, so they vary within the same zone.
Heritage, flood and bushfire mapping can limit what is possible on a lot even where the zone allows it.
State policies can apply as well as the council’s table. Granny flats are dealt with under the Housing SEPP, and small works such as sheds can be exempt development under the Codes SEPP. See the NSW granny flat rules and NSW shed rules.

An address search shows all of this for one property.

Council LEPs that use C2 (91)

Some councils have more than one LEP, each covering part of the area.

Land zoned under a State Environmental Planning Policy rather than a council LEP, such as some growth precincts, isn’t included in these counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is C2 Environmental Conservation zoning in NSW?

C2 Environmental Conservation is one of the zones in the NSW Standard Instrument, used by 91 of the 147 council Local Environmental Plans. Its first standard objective is: “To protect, manage and restore areas of high ecological, scientific, cultural or aesthetic values.”

Can you build a house in C2 zoning?

A dwelling house is allowed in 15 of the 91 LEPs that use C2 (with consent in 15). It is prohibited in 76. Whether a particular lot can take a house also depends on rules mapped to that lot, such as minimum lot size, so check the address.

What happens to uses the C2 table doesn’t list?

91 of the 91 LEPs prohibit any use their C2 table doesn’t name. That catch-all rule is part of each council’s table, so a use can be prohibited in C2 without being named.

How do I check if my property is zoned C2?

Search the address on ZoneScout. It reads the zone from NSW Government planning data and shows that council’s own land use table, along with the lot size and any heritage, flood or bushfire mapping.

Sources

Land use tables as at 19 August 2026. Councils amend their LEPs, so confirm against the current plan for your land.

General information only, not planning advice. Whether a project counts as a particular defined use is a planning judgement for your council or a planner.

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