R2 Low Density Residential zone in NSW

R2 is a zone in the NSW Standard Instrument, and 87 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: 87 of the 147 council LEPs
Dwelling houses: allowed in 87 of the 87
Uses the table doesn’t name: prohibited in 69 of the 87
Tables as at: 19 August 2026

What the zone is for

Every council that uses R2 includes these objectives, word for word. They come from the Standard Instrument, the template all NSW council plans are built on:

To provide for the housing needs of the community within a low density residential environment.
To enable other land uses that provide facilities or services to meet the day to day needs of residents.

56 of the 87 LEPs add objectives of their own, so the full list for a property depends on its council.

Can you build a house in R2?

A dwelling house is allowed in 87 of the 87 LEPs that use R2 (with consent in 87).

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 (22)

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
Centre-based child care facilities	0	87	0	0
Dwelling houses	0	87	0	0
Group homes	0	87	0	0
Home occupations	87	0	0	0
Oyster aquaculture	0	87	0	0
Pond-based aquaculture	0	87	0	0
Respite day care centres	0	87	0	0
Roads	18	69	0	0
Tank-based aquaculture	0	87	0	0
Community facilities	0	82	5	0
Recreation areas	2	79	6	0
Bed and breakfast accommodation	0	80	7	0
Home businesses	10	68	9	0
Environmental protection works	30	47	10	0
Home-based child care	27	49	11	0
Business identification signs	2	73	12	0
Building identification signs	4	66	17	0
Dual occupancies	0	70	14	3
Home industries	2	67	18	0
Places of public worship	0	69	18	0
Exhibition homes	0	66	21	0
Health consulting rooms	0	66	21	0

Councils differ (30)

These uses are allowed by some councils that use R2 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
Secondary dwellings	0	58	29	0
Flood mitigation works	1	56	30	0
Neighbourhood shops	0	51	36	0
Seniors housing	0	50	33	4
Environmental facilities	3	45	39	0
Semi-detached dwellings	0	46	41	0
Emergency services facilities	0	45	42	0
Water reticulation systems	3	39	45	0
Educational establishments	0	40	43	4
Exhibition villages	0	40	47	0
Information and education facilities	0	34	53	0
Boarding houses	0	32	55	0
Recreation facilities (outdoor)	0	32	55	0
Hostels	0	30	57	0
Attached dwellings	0	28	59	0
Hospitals	0	28	59	0
Water supply systems	0	28	42	17
Water recycling facilities	0	25	62	0
Jetties	0	24	63	0
Recreation facilities (indoor)	0	23	64	0
Water recreation structures	0	23	64	0
Boat sheds	0	22	65	0
Signage	0	17	16	54
Residential accommodation	0	13	10	64
Health services facilities	0	12	23	52
Sewerage systems	0	12	55	20
Tourist and visitor accommodation	0	6	19	62
Agriculture	1	0	17	69
Commercial premises	0	0	44	43
Industries	0	0	34	53

Prohibited in most councils (58)

Most of the LEPs that use R2 prohibit these, either by naming them or through the catch-all rule below.

Show all 58

Use	No consent needed	With consent	Prohibited
Correctional centres	0	0	87
Freight transport facilities	0	0	87
Heavy industrial storage establishments	0	0	87
Rural industries	0	0	87
Sex services premises	0	0	87
Storage premises	0	0	87
Transport depots	0	0	87
Truck depots	0	0	87
Vehicle repair stations	0	0	87
Air transport facilities	0	1	86
Amusement centres	0	1	86
Crematoria	0	1	86
Depots	0	1	86
Forestry	0	1	86
Industrial training facilities	0	1	86
Restricted premises	0	1	86
Vehicle body repair workshops	0	1	86
Warehouse or distribution centres	0	1	86
Wholesale supplies	0	1	86
Boat building and repair facilities	0	2	85
Industrial retail outlets	0	2	85
Mortuaries	0	2	85
Registered clubs	0	2	85
Rural workers’ dwellings	0	2	85
Waste or resource management facilities	0	2	85
Animal boarding or training establishments	0	3	84
Charter and tourism boating facilities	0	3	84
Extractive industries	0	3	84
Highway service centres	0	3	84
Service stations	0	3	84
Airstrips	0	4	83
Entertainment facilities	0	4	83
Local distribution premises	0	4	83
Open cut mining	0	4	83
Recreation facilities (major)	0	4	83
Eco-tourist facilities	0	5	82
Research stations	0	5	82
Wharf or boating facilities	0	5	82
Camping grounds	0	6	81
Function centres	0	6	81
Marinas	0	6	81
Passenger transport facilities	0	6	81
Residential flat buildings	0	6	81
Helipads	0	7	80
Farm buildings	0	8	79
Caravan parks	0	9	78
Electricity generating works	0	9	78
Mooring pens	0	9	78
Cemeteries	0	10	77
Moorings	0	10	77
Veterinary hospitals	0	12	75
Home occupations (sex services)	2	11	74
Advertising structures	0	14	73
Car parks	0	15	72
Multi dwelling housing	0	19	68
Boat launching ramps	0	20	67
Public administration buildings	0	21	66
Shop top housing	0	21	66

State policy also applies here

NSW state policy allows secondary dwellings in R1 to R5 zones wherever a house is allowed, whatever the council’s own table says. The counts here are the councils’ tables only. See the rules.

NSW state policy allows dual occupancies in R2 zones (except in Bathurst Regional, Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains, Wollondilly), whatever the council’s own table says. The counts here are the councils’ tables only. See the rules.

Uses the table doesn’t name

Every council’s table ends with a rule for anything it hasn’t listed. 69 of the 87 LEPs prohibit any use their R2 table doesn’t name. The other 18 allow such uses with consent.

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 R2 (87)

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 R2 Low Density Residential zoning in NSW?

R2 Low Density Residential is one of the zones in the NSW Standard Instrument, used by 87 of the 147 council Local Environmental Plans. Its first standard objective is: “To provide for the housing needs of the community within a low density residential environment.”

Can you build a house in R2 zoning?

A dwelling house is allowed in 87 of the 87 LEPs that use R2 (with consent in 87). 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 R2 table doesn’t list?

69 of the 87 LEPs prohibit any use their R2 table doesn’t name. The other 18 allow such uses with consent. That catch-all rule is part of each council’s table, so a use can be prohibited in R2 without being named.

How do I check if my property is zoned R2?

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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