E1 Local Centre zone in NSW

E1 is a zone in the NSW Standard Instrument, and 121 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: 121 of the 147 council LEPs
Dwelling houses: allowed in 39 of the 121
Uses the table doesn’t name: allowed with consent in 101 of the 121
Tables as at: 19 August 2026

What the zone is for

Almost every council that uses E1 includes these objectives, word for word. They come from the Standard Instrument, the template all NSW council plans are built on:

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 encourage business, retail, community and other non-residential land uses on the ground floor of buildings.
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. (120 of the 121)

89 of the 121 LEPs add objectives of their own, so the full list for a property depends on its council.

Can you build a house in E1?

A dwelling house is allowed in 39 of the 121 LEPs that use E1 (with consent in 39). It is prohibited in 82.

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 (36)

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	Can’t say
Amusement centres	0	121	0	0
Boarding houses	0	121	0	0
Building identification signs	15	106	0	0
Business identification signs	6	115	0	0
Centre-based child care facilities	0	121	0	0
Commercial premises	0	121	0	0
Community facilities	0	121	0	0
Entertainment facilities	0	121	0	0
Function centres	0	121	0	0
Home businesses	30	91	0	0
Home occupations	95	26	0	0
Hotel or motel accommodation	0	121	0	0
Information and education facilities	0	121	0	0
Local distribution premises	0	121	0	0
Medical centres	0	121	0	0
Oyster aquaculture	0	121	0	0
Places of public worship	0	121	0	0
Public administration buildings	0	121	0	0
Recreation areas	7	114	0	0
Recreation facilities (indoor)	0	121	0	0
Respite day care centres	0	121	0	0
Roads	37	84	0	0
Service stations	0	121	0	0
Shop top housing	0	121	0	0
Tank-based aquaculture	0	121	0	0
Veterinary hospitals	0	121	0	0
Home industries	10	110	1	0
Car parks	0	114	7	0
Flood mitigation works	4	108	9	0
Environmental protection works	56	55	10	0
Passenger transport facilities	0	108	12	1
Home-based child care	39	66	16	0
Registered clubs	0	105	16	0
Bed and breakfast accommodation	0	98	23	0
Advertising structures	0	94	27	0
Restricted premises	0	92	29	0

Councils differ (37)

These uses are allowed by some councils that use E1 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
Water reticulation systems	14	75	32	0
Signage	0	82	8	31
Port facilities	0	78	42	1
Environmental facilities	3	74	43	1
Recreation facilities (outdoor)	0	69	51	1
Vehicle repair stations	0	68	52	1
Hostels	0	67	53	1
Farm stay accommodation	0	61	60	0
Mortuaries	0	61	59	1
Artisan food and drink industries	0	57	64	0
Wholesale supplies	0	52	68	1
Creative industries	0	51	69	1
Water recycling facilities	0	46	74	1
Water recreation structures	0	45	75	1
Home occupations (sex services)	2	42	76	1
Jetties	0	44	76	1
Residential flat buildings	0	44	76	1
Research stations	0	43	77	1
Group homes	0	42	78	1
Water treatment facilities	0	42	78	1
Boat launching ramps	0	41	79	1
Electricity generating works	0	40	80	1
Charter and tourism boating facilities	0	39	81	1
Dwelling houses	0	39	82	0
Water supply systems	0	39	43	39
Helipads	0	38	82	1
Boat sheds	0	37	83	1
Light industries	0	36	68	17
Industrial retail outlets	0	32	88	1
Highway service centres	0	31	89	1
Warehouse or distribution centres	0	31	89	1
Wharf or boating facilities	0	31	89	1
Moorings	1	29	90	1
Sewerage systems	0	19	70	32
Tourist and visitor accommodation	0	10	25	86
Waste or resource management facilities	0	9	64	48
Residential accommodation	0	1	71	49

Prohibited in most councils (36)

Most of the LEPs that use E1 prohibit these, either by naming them or through the catch-all rule below.

Show all 36

Use	With consent	Prohibited	Can’t say
Heavy industrial storage establishments	0	119	2
Rural industries	2	118	1
Forestry	3	117	1
Air transport facilities	3	116	2
Cemeteries	5	115	1
Freight transport facilities	5	115	1
Rural workers’ dwellings	5	115	1
Animal boarding or training establishments	7	113	1
Correctional centres	7	113	1
Extractive industries	7	113	1
Waste disposal facilities	8	112	1
Airstrips	9	111	1
Crematoria	9	111	1
Farm buildings	9	111	1
Exhibition villages	10	110	1
Resource recovery facilities	11	109	1
Camping grounds	12	108	1
Open cut mining	12	108	1
Eco-tourist facilities	13	107	1
Truck depots	15	105	1
Storage premises	13	104	4
Industrial training facilities	17	103	1
Vehicle body repair workshops	17	103	1
Caravan parks	18	102	1
Transport depots	19	101	1
Biosolids treatment facilities	20	100	1
Agriculture	0	99	22
Industries	0	99	22
Boat building and repair facilities	22	98	1
Marinas	22	98	1
Sewage treatment plants	22	98	1
Recreation facilities (major)	23	97	1
Depots	25	95	1
Mooring pens	27	93	1
Sex services premises	27	93	1
Exhibition homes	28	92	1

Uses the table doesn’t name

Every council’s table ends with a rule for anything it hasn’t listed. 19 of the 121 LEPs prohibit any use their E1 table doesn’t name. 101 allow such uses with consent. 1 has no rule for unlisted uses, so those can’t be answered either way.

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 E1 (121)

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 E1 Local Centre zoning in NSW?

E1 Local Centre is one of the zones in the NSW Standard Instrument, used by 121 of the 147 council Local Environmental Plans. Its first standard objective is: “To encourage investment in local commercial development that generates employment opportunities and economic growth.”

Can you build a house in E1 zoning?

A dwelling house is allowed in 39 of the 121 LEPs that use E1 (with consent in 39). It is prohibited in 82. 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 E1 table doesn’t list?

19 of the 121 LEPs prohibit any use their E1 table doesn’t name. 101 allow such uses with consent. 1 has no rule for unlisted uses, so those can’t be answered either way. That catch-all rule is part of each council’s table, so a use can be prohibited in E1 without being named.

How do I check if my property is zoned E1?

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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