Every planning control identified for any lot | Every planning rule & overlay cross-referenced in one query | Approval likelihood scored for every control | Conflicts and overrides resolved automatically | Every answer cited to the source clause | Ask planning questions in plain English | Results in under 1 second | Every planning control identified for any lot | Every planning rule & overlay cross-referenced in one query | Approval likelihood scored for every control | Conflicts and overrides resolved automatically | Every answer cited to the source clause | Ask planning questions in plain English | Results in under 1 second |
Suburb planning guide · Updated 2026-04-27

The Rocks, NSW 2000 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

dominant. Median sale $1.65M over the last 24 months. 50% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
Median sale (24m)
$1.65M
1 sales
DA approval rate
50%
3 of 6 approved
Total lots
324

The Rocks 2000 spans 2 councils: Council of the City of Sydney (231 lots), Bathurst Regional Council (93 lots). The dominant council (Council of the City of Sydney) sets the canonical URL for this page.

Marketplace

Need a builder, surveyor or planner near The Rocks? See local experts ↓

Zoning

What you can build in The Rocks

The Rocks is dominated by . Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

Dominant
RU1 Primary Production 94.6%
C2 Centre Support 3.2%
SP2 Infrastructure 2.2%
Avg max height
20.0 m

Limit varies by lot — check your address for the exact figure.

Avg max FSR
:1

Floor Space Ratio — total floor area as a multiple of lot area.

Use mix

Location

Where The Rocks sits

The Rocks 2000 covers an undefined area within Council of the City of Sydney.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Council of the City of Sydney
Postcode
2000
Area
Total lots
324

Drill into any lot in The Rocks

Open the interactive map — click any address to see its zone, height, FSR, overlays, and approval likelihood.

Open interactive map

Development potential

Where the upside is in The Rocks

We score every lot for development signal — under-built relative to the controls, eligible for a granny flat, or sized for subdivision.

granny flat eligible
0

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
0

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
0 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
3.0 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

0

Own a property in The Rocks?

Check your lot's exact development potential — height, FSR, granny flat, subdivision, dual-occ.

Run a report on your address

Constraints & risks

What could stop you in The Rocks

No material constraints flagged across the suburb. Always verify at the individual lot level — site-specific overlays can still apply..

Suburb-wide percentages — your specific lot may have all, some, or none of these.

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone None

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls None

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land None

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) None

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

AUSDEN HOMES

Home builder · serves The Rocks, NSW

Suite 2, L35, Grosvenor Place, 225 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000

View profile

Market

The Rocks property market

Sales, rent, and yield data drawn from NSW Property Sales Information and rental bond data over the past 24 months.

Median sale price (24m)
$1,650,000
1 sales · land value $784K
Median rent (house)
$971 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
2.0%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in The Rocks

6 development applications for The Rocks addresses were decided by Council of the City of Sydney over the past 24 months. 3 approved — a 50% approval rate. Average processing time: 30 days.

50%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
6
Approved
3
New dwelling DAs
3
Building approvals (12m)
32

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in The Rocks

ABS Census 2021 population data combined with lot-level amenity, healthcare, lifestyle, and crime indices.

Green cover
18%
Amenity score
88.0 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
72.6 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
92.5 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about The Rocks

What's the zoning in The Rocks 2000?

The Rocks is dominated by the — () zone, which covers 88 of 324 lots (95%). The full mix is: RU1 Primary Production (95%), C2 Centre Support (3%), SP2 Infrastructure (2%).

What's the building height limit in The Rocks?

Across The Rocks, the average maximum building height is 20.0 m. Height is set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and can be varied by overlays and schedules. For the exact control on a specific address, generate a planning report.

Can I build a granny flat in The Rocks?

Most lots in The Rocks aren't eligible for a granny flat under SEPP (Housing) 2021 — typically because the dominant zoning (—) doesn't permit it, or lot sizes fall below the minimum. Always verify on the specific address.

What's the median property price in The Rocks?

The median sale price in The Rocks over the past 24 months is $1,650,000, across 1 sales. Median unimproved land value is $784,000.

What's the median rent in The Rocks?

Median weekly rent for a house in The Rocks is $971. Gross rental yield works out to 2.0%.

What's the development application approval rate in Council of the City of Sydney?

Council of the City of Sydney decided 6 development applications for The Rocks addresses over the past 24 months, with 3 approved (50% approval rate). Average processing time is 30 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What's the development potential of The Rocks?

0 of 324 lots in The Rocks show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 3.0 / 100.

Certified Energy - BASIX, NATHERS, ABSA Certifications & NCC Section J

Environmental consultant · serves The Rocks, NSW

Level 5/157-161 Gloucester St, The Rocks NSW 2000

View profile

Get a planning report for any address in The Rocks

Suburb-wide stats are useful for context. For a buy-or-walk decision on a specific lot, you need every control, every constraint, and every clause cited to source.

Run a report — from A$29

14-section report · LEP + SEPP + DCP cross-referenced · cited to source

Methodology & sources

Zoning, height, FSR, and overlays parsed from the Council of the City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan, applicable State Environmental Planning Policies, and the Development Control Plan. Property sales drawn from NSW Property Sales Information. DA history aggregated from the NSW Planning Portal. Heritage, flood, bushfire, contaminated land, TEC, sea-level rise, and aircraft noise overlays from the NSW Spatial Services and EPA registers. Population, age, income, and tenure from ABS Census 2021. Aggregated by ZoneDSS · last updated 2026-04-27.

Suburb-wide statistics — your specific lot may vary. Always run a planning report on the actual address before making a decision. How ZoneDSS works →