- Zone LR (Low Density Residential): smallest new lot 800 m² and 20 m frontage.
- Zone LR (Low Density Residential): up to 8.5 m high and 2 storeys.
- Zone LR (Low Density Residential): front setback 6 m and side 1.5 m.
- Zone LMR (Low-Medium Density Residential): smallest new lot 300 m² and 10 m frontage.
- Zone LMR (Low-Medium Density Residential): up to 8.5 m high and 2 storeys.
- Zone LMR (Low-Medium Density Residential): front setback 6 m and side 1.5 m.
- Zone MR (Medium Density Residential): smallest new lot 800 m² and 20 m frontage.
- Zone MR (Medium Density Residential): 4 storeys.
- Zone MR (Medium Density Residential): front setback 6 m and side 3 m.
- A sample brief on 11 Philip Street, Fannie Bay (dual occupancy or duplex, 2 storeys) holds 17 numbers from the rules; 3 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 Darwin
| Zone | Smallest new lot (a house) | Frontage | Height | Storeys | Front setback | Side setback | Site cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone LR (Low Density Residential) | 800 m² | 20 m | 8.5 m | 2 | 6 m | 1.5 m | Not on file |
| Zone LMR (Low-Medium Density Residential) | 300 m² | 10 m | 8.5 m | 2 | 6 m | 1.5 m | Not on file |
| Zone MR (Medium Density Residential) | 800 m² | 20 m | Not on file | 4 | 6 m | 3 m | Not on file |
Rules read on 23 October 2026: NT Planning Scheme 2020 as amended to Amendment 160 (2026-02-06). Clauses: NTPS-6.2.1 NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 6.2.1; NTPS-5.2.1 NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.2.1; NTPS-5.4.3-A NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A; NTPS-6.2.2 NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 6.2.2; NTPS-5.4.1 NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.1; NTPS-5.4.1-B NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.1, Table B; NTPS-5.4.3-B NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table B.
A sample brief: 11 Philip Street, Fannie Bay
Dual occupancy or duplex, 2 storeys, on the Zone LMR (Low-Medium Density Residential) lot GoSiteHunt uses as the NT public example.
| Item | Number | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum site area for each home | 300 m² | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.1 |
| Minimum frontage | No limit set | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.1 |
| Assessment path (indicative) | The quicker path if every number is met (see the note) | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 4.3 |
| Site coverage | No limit set | NT Planning Scheme 2020, Part 5, clause 5.4 |
| Building height in storeys | 2 storeys at most | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.2.1 |
| Building height in metres | 8.5 m at most | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.2.1 |
| Front setback | 6 m at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Porch or verandah in the front setback | up to 1.5 m forward | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Side street setback (corner blocks) | 2.5 m at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Side setback, ground floor | 1.5 m at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Side setback, upper floor | 1.5 m for a 6 m wall | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Rear setback, ground floor | 1.5 m at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Rear setback, upper floor | 1.5 m at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
| Private open space (each home) | 45 m² at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.6.1 |
| Deep soil or planting area | 30% of the site (293.4 m² here) | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.2.6.1 |
| Car parking for each home | 1 space with a studio or 1 bedroom; 2 spaces with 2 or more bedrooms | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.2.4.1 |
| Garage setback from the street | 6 m at least | NT Planning Scheme 2020, clause 5.4.3, Table A |
3 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 Darwin
Questions
- What setbacks apply in Darwin?
- In the Zone LR (Low Density Residential), the front setback is 6 m and the side setback 1.5 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.