Development Control Plan (DCP)

The Development Control Plan (DCP) contains detailed planning and design guidelines to support the provisions in the Local Environmental Plan. Its purpose is to provide guidance for those proposing to carry out development in the Newcastle LGA under a development or modification application.

City of Newcastle (CN) is pleased to allow the Newcastle DCP 2012 to be reproduced in whole or in part, provided the meaning is unchanged and the source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged.

Should you have any queries regarding the Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012, please contact CN's Customer Contact Centre on 02 4974 2000.

The Community Participation Plan (PDF) (The Plan) is operational from 25 November 2019 and replaces Section 8 Public Participation. Please refer to the Plan for revised participation requirements.
The Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012 is provided to assist you with the preparation of Development Applications. The provisions of the DCP are largely assessment criteria to be used in the assessment of Development Applications. However, some local circumstances may apply to any particular development site or proposal that warrant separate consideration outside the framework of Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012. Accordingly, compliance with the provisions does not guarantee development approval, nor will non compliance with the provisions necessarily result in refusal of an application. CN does not accept any liability for your interpretation of the applicability or non applicability of the elements to your particular development proposal.

View the DCP

DCP Table of Contents

View the 0.00 DCP Table of Contents (PDF)

1.00 DCP Introduction

View the 1.00 DCP Introduction (PDF)

2.00 How to use this DCP

View the 2.00 How to use this DCP (PDF)

3.00 Landuse Specific Provisions

View the 3.00 Landuse Specific Provisions:

Section 3.01 Subdivision (PDF)
Section 3.02 Single Dwellings and Ancillary Development (PDF)
Section 3.03 Residential Development (PDF)
Section 3.10 Commercial Uses (PDF)
Section 3.11 Community Services (PDF)
Section 3.12 Sex Industry Establishments (PDF)
Section 3.13 Industrial Development (PDF)
Section 3.14 Exhibition Homes and Villages (PDF)

4.00 Risk Minimisation Provisions

View the 4.00 Risk Minimisation Provisions:

5.00 Environmental Protections Provisions

View the 5.00 Environmental Protections Provisions:

Section 5.01 Soil Management (PDF)
Section 5.02 Land Contamination (PDF)
Section 5.03 Vegetation Management (PDF)
Section 5.04 Aboriginal Heritage (PDF)
Section 5.05 Heritage Items (PDF)
Section 5.06 Archaeological Management (PDF)

6.00 Locality Specific Provisions

View the 6.00 Locality Specific Provisions:

Section 6.01 Newcastle City Centre (PDF)
Section 6.02 Heritage Conservation Areas (PDF)
Section 6.03 Wickham (PDF)
Section 6.04 Renewal Corridors (PDF)
Section 6.09 Darby Street Cooks Hill (PDF)
Section 6.10 Beaumont Street Hamilton (PDF)
Section 6.12 Minmi (PDF)
Section 6.13 Precinct Maps (PDF)
Section 6.15 Fort Wallace (PDF)

7.00 Development Provisions

View the 7.00 Development Provisions:

9.00 DCP Glossary

View the 9.00 Glossary (PDF)

Technical Manuals and Additional Information

Black Hill - Urban Design Guidelines (PDF)
City Centre Public Domain Technical Manual (PDF)
Commercial Technical Manual (PDF)
Contaminated Land Management Technical Manual (PDF)
Heritage Technical Manual (PDF)
Landscape Technical Manual (PDF)
Minmi Extension, Village Centre and Link Road North Precinct Development Guidelines - November 2018 (PDF)
Stormwater and Water Efficiency for Development Technical Manual (PDF)
Subdivision Technical Manual (PDF)
Waste Management Technical Manual (PDF)
Strategic Impact Assessment Study - Steel River - February 1998 (PDF)
Strategic Impact Assessment Study - Land at Tourle Street and Industrial Drive, Mayfield - The 'Steel River' Project - February 1998
Minmi East Precinct Development Guidelines (PDF)

Urban Forest Technical Manual

Technical Manuals provide more detailed or supportive information to the Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012.

Technical Manuals can be downloaded here or purchased separately to the Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012 from Council's Customer Contact Centre. The Technical Manuals are also included in the CD version of the Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012.

The Department of Planning and Environment exhibited the translation of existing Business and Industrial zones into the new Employment zones from 31 May to 12 July 2022. To view the detail please visit the Department’s Planning Portal. Employment zones will be in place within individual LEPs by 1 December 2022 when the existing Business and Industrial zones will be repealed. Further information is available on the Department's website.

As of 1 December 2021, a reference to an Environment Protection zone E1, E2, E3 or E4 in a document should be taken to be a reference to a Conservation zone C1, C2, C3 or C4. For further information please see, Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Amendment (Land Use Zones) Order 2021.

Additional information and a 'Frequently Asked Questions' Fact Sheet is available on the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment website.