ZoneScout

RU1 Primary Production zone in NSW

RU1 is a zone in the NSW Standard Instrument, and 107 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
107 of the 147 council LEPs
Dwelling houses
allowed in 107 of the 107
Uses the table doesn’t name
prohibited in 84 of the 107
Tables as at
19 August 2026

What the zone is for

Almost every council that uses RU1 includes these objectives, word for word. They come from the Standard Instrument, the template all NSW council plans are built on:

  • To encourage sustainable primary industry production by maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base.
  • To encourage diversity in primary industry enterprises and systems appropriate for the area.
  • To minimise the fragmentation and alienation of resource lands.
  • To minimise conflict between land uses within this zone and land uses within adjoining zones. (106 of the 107)

74 of the 107 LEPs add objectives of their own, so the full list for a property depends on its council.

Can you build a house in RU1?

A dwelling house is allowed in 107 of the 107 LEPs that use RU1 (with consent in 107).

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 (43)

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.

UseNo consent neededWith consentProhibitedCan’t say
Aquaculture010700
Cellar door premises010700
Dwelling houses010700
Environmental protection works872000
Extensive agriculture107000
Extractive industries010700
Farm buildings119600
Home occupations107000
Horticulture565100
Intensive livestock agriculture010700
Intensive plant agriculture456200
Open cut mining010700
Roads485900
Roadside stalls310400
Turf farming307700
Animal boarding or training establishments010610
Bed and breakfast accommodation110420
Environmental facilities210230
Farm stay accommodation010430
Forestry446030
Business identification signs49670
Home-based child care485270
Recreation areas010070
Rural industries010016
Building identification signs118880
Home businesses207980
Home industries59480
Helipads39590
Airstrips393110
Recreation facilities (outdoor)095120
Agritourism091016
Community facilities091160
Flood mitigation works386180
Veterinary hospitals088190
Rural workers’ dwellings087200
Dual occupancies (attached)086210
Boat sheds085220
Boat launching ramps084230
Cemeteries084230
Information and education facilities084230
Water recreation structures084230
Water reticulation systems2262230
Eco-tourist facilities083240

Uses the table doesn’t name

Every council’s table ends with a rule for anything it hasn’t listed. 84 of the 107 LEPs prohibit any use their RU1 table doesn’t name. The other 23 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 RU1 (107)

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 RU1 Primary Production zoning in NSW?

RU1 Primary Production is one of the zones in the NSW Standard Instrument, used by 107 of the 147 council Local Environmental Plans. Its first standard objective is: “To encourage sustainable primary industry production by maintaining and enhancing the natural resource base.”

Can you build a house in RU1 zoning?

A dwelling house is allowed in 107 of the 107 LEPs that use RU1 (with consent in 107). 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 RU1 table doesn’t list?

84 of the 107 LEPs prohibit any use their RU1 table doesn’t name. The other 23 allow such uses with consent. That catch-all rule is part of each council’s table, so a use can be prohibited in RU1 without being named.

How do I check if my property is zoned RU1?

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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