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 2026-06-08

Caloundra, QLD 4551 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Medium density residential dominant. 100% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
MDR
Medium density residential
Median rent (house)
$762
per week
DA approval rate
100%
10 of 10 approved
Total lots
2,940
3.1 km²

Zoning

What you can build in Caloundra

Caloundra is dominated by MDRMedium density residential. Land use, building height, and permitted development are set per zone in the council planning scheme, made under the Queensland Planning Act 2016.

MDR
Dominant
MDR Medium density residential 36.5%
MC Major centre 31.7%
HDR High density residential 12.5%
LDR Low density residential 8.2%
TA Residential 5.4%
CF Community facilities 3.3%
SR Sport and recreation 0.9%
OS Open space 0.7%
EMC Environmental management and conservation 0.5%
SC Specialised centre 0.4%
Avg max height
m

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

Theoretical dwellings

Modelled dwelling capacity if every lot built to its zone controls.

Use mix
Residential63%
Commercial32%
Environment2%

Location

Where Caloundra sits

Caloundra 4551 covers 3.1 km² within Sunshine Coast Regional.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Sunshine Coast Regional
Postcode
4551
Area
3.10 km²
Total lots
2,940

Drill into any lot in Caloundra

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 Caloundra

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

secondary dwelling eligible
927

under the relevant council planning scheme

Subdivision potential
0

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
927 lots

show at least one development signal

Own a property in Caloundra?

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 Caloundra

10% of lots are in mapped flood zones — material for any development; also: 1.1% of lots: koala priority habitat; 1.7% of lots: state environmental significance.

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

Flood-affected 9.8%

Flood hazard overlay mapping

Bushfire-prone 1.2%

Bushfire hazard overlay mapping

Koala priority habitat 1.1%

Core koala habitat (State Planning Regulatory Provisions)

State environmental significance 1.7%

Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES) overlay

Market

Caloundra property market

Rent and market context from state rental bond and demographic data.

Median rent (house)
$762 / wk
Houses

Sale-price history isn't yet loaded for Queensland suburbs — rent, demographics and planning data are shown where available.

Projected dwellings 2036
14,749

Queensland Government Statistician's Office projection.

DA activity

Development applications in Caloundra

10 development applications for Caloundra addresses were decided by Sunshine Coast Regional over the past 24 months. 10 approved — a 100% approval rate.

100%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
10
Approved
10

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Caloundra

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

Population
6,973
Median age
56
Household income
$58.34K
Owner-occupied
56%
Renting
44%
Amenity score
100.0 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Lifestyle score
67.0 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Caloundra

What's the zoning in Caloundra 4551?

Caloundra is dominated by the MDR (Medium density residential) zone, which covers 943 of 2,940 lots (37%). The full mix is: MDR Medium density residential (37%), MC Major centre (32%), HDR High density residential (13%), LDR Low density residential (8%), TA Residential (5%), CF Community facilities (3%), SR Sport and recreation (1%), OS Open space (1%), EMC Environmental management and conservation (1%), SC Specialised centre (0%).

Can I build a secondary dwelling in Caloundra?

Yes — 927 lots in Caloundra appear eligible for a secondary dwelling under the relevant council planning scheme, based on lot size, zoning, and frontage. Eligibility is lot-specific: get a planning report on your address to confirm.

What's the median rent in Caloundra?

Median weekly rent for a house in Caloundra is $762.

What's the development application approval rate in Sunshine Coast Regional?

Sunshine Coast Regional decided 10 development applications for Caloundra addresses over the past 24 months, with 10 approved (100% approval rate). Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Caloundra?

Across Caloundra, 9.8% flood-affected, 1.2% bushfire-prone, 1.1% koala priority habitat, 1.7% state environmental significance. 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 Caloundra?

927 of 2,940 lots in Caloundra show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a secondary dwelling, or capable of subdivision.

Get a planning report for any address in Caloundra

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 · planning scheme controls cross-referenced · cited to source

Methodology & sources

Zoning, height, overlays and development potential computed from the Sunshine Coast Regionalcouncil planning scheme and lot-level cadastre (2,940 lots). Hazard overlays, demographics and rent drawn from Queensland council planning schemes, Development.i / council DA registers, Queensland Globe, and ABS Census 2021. Aggregated by ZoneDSS · last updated 2026-06-08.

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