- RZ1 Suburban zone: smallest new lot 350 m² and 10 m frontage.
- RZ1 Suburban zone: up to 8.5 m high and 2 storeys.
- RZ1 Suburban zone: front setback 6 m, side 3 m and site cover 45%.
- RZ2 Suburban Density zone: smallest new lot 300 m² and 10 m frontage.
- RZ2 Suburban Density zone: up to 10.5 m high and 3 storeys.
- RZ2 Suburban Density zone: front setback 6 m, side 3 m and site cover 45%.
- RZ3 Residential Transition zone: smallest new lot 275 m² and 10 m frontage.
- RZ3 Residential Transition zone: up to 14 m high and 4 storeys.
- RZ3 Residential Transition zone: front setback 6 m, side 3 m and site cover 50%.
- A sample brief on 5 Keartland Street, Page (dual occupancy or duplex, 2 storeys) holds 16 numbers from the rules; 5 more are Not on file.
What a Design Brief holds
For one lot and what you are designing (a house, a pair, townhouses, apartments, a granny flat), the brief lists the numbers the zone sets: site and homes, height and site cover, setbacks, open space and landscape and parking and access. Each is cited to its clause, and the buildable envelope is drawn on the real lot in plan and in 3D.
15 credits a brief. The same block and kind again within 30 days opens free.
Zone parameters in Canberra
| Zone | Smallest new lot (a house) | Frontage | Height | Storeys | Front setback | Side setback | Site cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RZ1 Suburban zone | 350 m² | 10 m | 8.5 m | 2 | 6 m | 3 m | 45% |
| RZ2 Suburban Density zone | 300 m² | 10 m | 10.5 m | 3 | 6 m | 3 m | 45% |
| RZ3 Residential Transition zone | 275 m² | 10 m | 14 m | 4 | 6 m | 3 m | 50% |
Rules read on 23 October 2026: Territory Plan 2023 republication R47, effective 2 Oct 2026; Residential Zones Technical Specifications NI2026-303, commenced 1 Jul 2026; Subdivision Technical Specifications NI2026-304, commenced 1 Jul 2026. Clauses: F01-11 A new block in RZ1: at least 350 m², unless each block already holds a lawfully built home (Territory Plan, Subdivision Policy, requirement 11). A mandatory rule.; SS1-2.1 ACT Subdivision Technical Specifications 2026, 2.1; ZS1-14.1 ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 14.1; E01-6 Storeys by zone: a house 2 or 3, two or more homes 2 in RZ1 up to 7 in RZ5 (Territory Plan, Residential Zones Policy, requirement 6). A mandatory rule.; ZS1-T4 ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 4; E01-8 Territory Plan, Residential Zones Policy, requirement 8; ZS1-T9 ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 9; SS1-2.2 ACT Subdivision Technical Specifications 2026, 2.2; ZS1-T10 ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 10.
A sample brief: 5 Keartland Street, Page
Dual occupancy or duplex, 2 storeys, on the RZ1 Suburban zone lot GoSiteHunt uses as the ACT public example.
| Item | Number | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum site area for each home | 185.2 m² | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 5.3 |
| Minimum frontage | No limit set | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 4.2 |
| Density | 54 homes a hectare | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 5.3 |
| Assessment path (indicative) | No further assessment of the outcomes a design meets by the numbers | Territory Plan, Residential Zones Policy, land use table |
| Site coverage | 45% at most | Territory Plan, Residential Zones Policy, requirement 8 |
| Building height in storeys | 2 storeys at most | Storeys by zone: a house 2 or 3, two or more homes 2 in RZ1 up to 7 in RZ5 (Territory Plan, Residential Zones Policy, requirement 6). A mandatory rule. |
| Building height in metres | 8.5 m at most | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 14.1 |
| Front setback | 6 m at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 4 |
| Side street setback (corner blocks) | 2 m at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 4 |
| Side setback, ground floor | 3 m at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 9 |
| Rear setback, ground floor | 6 m at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 9 |
| Rear setback, upper floor | 6 m at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 9 |
| Private open space (each home) | 36 m² at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 11.6 |
| Deep soil or planting area | 30% of the site (217.8 m² here) | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, 19.1 |
| Car parking for each home | 1 space with a studio or 1 bedroom; 1.2 spaces with 2 bedrooms; 1.33 spaces with 3 or more bedrooms | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 12 |
| Garage setback from the street | 6 m at least | ACT Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026, Table 4 |
5 more items are Not on file for this lot and kind: the brief says so, item by item.
Make a Design Brief What can be built in Canberra
Questions
- What setbacks apply in Canberra?
- In the RZ1 Suburban zone, the front setback is 6 m and the side setback 3 m, by the rule pack. A brief gives the numbers for your own lot.
Last updated: 14 November 2026. Guide only. Confirm all results with a council planner before you rely on them.