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

Macquarie Hills, NSW 2285 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $882.94K over the last 24 months. 90% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$882.94K
108 sales
DA approval rate
90%
46 of 51 approved
Total lots
1,304
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Macquarie Hills

Macquarie Hills is dominated by R2Low Density Residential. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

R2
Dominant
R2 Low Density Residential 93.7%
RU4 Primary Production Small Lots 3.5%
C2 Centre Support 1.3%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.2%
SP2 Infrastructure 0.3%
Avg max height
8.0 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
Residential93%
Commercial0%
Environment1%
Rural4%

Location

Where Macquarie Hills sits

Macquarie Hills 2285 covers an undefined area within Lake Macquarie City Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Lake Macquarie City Council
Postcode
2285
Area
Total lots
1,304

Drill into any lot in Macquarie Hills

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 Macquarie Hills

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
1,206

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
445

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
0 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
21.6 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

0

Own a property in Macquarie Hills?

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 Macquarie Hills

34% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 0.9% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community.

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

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone 33.5%

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) 0.9%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Ausco Plumbing Plumbing and Hot Water Specialist

Plumber · serves Macquarie Hills, NSW

38 Blaxland Rd, Macquarie Hills NSW 2285

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Market

Macquarie Hills 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)
$882,944
108 sales · land value $465K
Median rent (house)
$661 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.7%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Macquarie Hills

51 development applications for Macquarie Hills addresses were decided by Lake Macquarie City Council over the past 24 months. 46 approved — a 90% approval rate. Average processing time: 85 days.

90%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
51
Approved
46
New dwelling DAs
35
Building approvals (12m)
40

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Macquarie Hills

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

Green cover
42%
Amenity score
38.3 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
55.8 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
40.8 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Macquarie Hills

What's the zoning in Macquarie Hills 2285?

Macquarie Hills is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 1,218 of 1,304 lots (94%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (94%), RU4 Primary Production Small Lots (4%), C2 Centre Support (1%), RE1 Public Recreation (1%), SP2 Infrastructure (0%).

What's the building height limit in Macquarie Hills?

Across Macquarie Hills, the average maximum building height is 8.0 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 Macquarie Hills?

Yes — 1,206 lots in Macquarie Hills appear eligible for a granny flat under SEPP (Housing) 2021, based on lot size, zoning, and frontage. Eligibility is lot-specific: get a planning report on your address to confirm.

What's the median property price in Macquarie Hills?

The median sale price in Macquarie Hills over the past 24 months is $882,944, across 108 sales. Median unimproved land value is $465,000.

What's the median rent in Macquarie Hills?

Median weekly rent for a house in Macquarie Hills is $661. Gross rental yield works out to 3.7%.

What's the development application approval rate in Lake Macquarie City Council?

Lake Macquarie City Council decided 51 development applications for Macquarie Hills addresses over the past 24 months, with 46 approved (90% approval rate). Average processing time is 85 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Macquarie Hills?

Across Macquarie Hills, 33.5% bushfire-prone. These are suburb-wide percentages — every lot has its own combination. A planning report on a specific address shows exactly which controls apply.

What's the development potential of Macquarie Hills?

0 of 1,304 lots in Macquarie Hills show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 21.6 / 100.

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Pest control service · serves Macquarie Hills, NSW

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Get a planning report for any address in Macquarie Hills

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 Lake Macquarie City Council 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 →