Questions & Answers

I have a corner block. How is the second street frontage treated?

Where required front setbacks are not specified in the relevant district technical specification, the secondary street frontage may be nominated by the applicant, but the nomination must consider the front setback of existing buildings. On a block with existing buildings, the existing building setback is used to determine the primary and secondary frontages.

  • – For Single Dwelling, blocks in subdivisions approved originally before 18 October 1993, the secondary street frontage setback is a minimum of 4m for Large blocks and 3m for Mid-sized and Compact Blocks.

  • – For Single Dwelling, blocks in subdivisions approved on or after 18 October 1993 but before 31 March 2008, the secondary street frontage setback is a minimum of 4m for Large blocks and 3m for Mid-sized and Compact Blocks.

  • – For Single Dwelling, blocks in subdivisions approved on or after 31 March 2008, the secondary street frontage setback is a minimum of 3m for Large and Mid-Sized blocks and 2m for Compact Blocks.

  • – For Multi-Unit Housing, all residential zones, the secondary street frontage setback is a minimum of 2m for Large and Mid-Sized blocks.

Reference: Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-303), Assessment Outcome 14.3- Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026

Last reviewed: 31 July 2026 Information current as at: 1 September 2026

Short Answer

Where a district technical specification does not identify the front setback, the applicant may nominate the secondary street frontage, taking into account the setbacks of existing buildings on the block. The required secondary street frontage setback depends on the subdivision date, block size, and housing type. For single dwellings: Subdivisions before 31 March 2008: 4 m for large blocks and 3 m for mid-sized and compact blocks. Subdivisions on or after 31 March 2008: 3 m for large and mid-sized blocks and 2 m for compact blocks. For multi-unit housing: All residential zones: 2 m for large and mid-sized blocks.

Detailed Explanation

Where a front setback is not specified in the relevant district technical specification, the applicant can nominate which street frontage is considered the secondary street frontage. This nomination must consider the setback of existing buildings on the block. Where a block already contains buildings, the existing building setbacks are used to help determine the primary and secondary frontages.

For single dwellings, the required secondary street frontage setback depends on the subdivision approval date and block size:

  • Blocks in subdivisions approved before 18 October 1993:


    The minimum secondary street frontage setback is 4 m for large blocks and 3 m for mid-sized and compact blocks.

  • Blocks in subdivisions approved on or after 18 October 1993 but before 31 March 2008:


    The minimum secondary street frontage setback is also 4 m for large blocks and 3 m for mid-sized and compact blocks.

  • Blocks in subdivisions approved on or after 31 March 2008:


    The minimum secondary street frontage setback is reduced to 3 m for large and mid-sized blocks and 2 m for compact blocks.

For multi-unit housing, across all residential zones, the minimum secondary street frontage setback is 2 m for large and mid-sized blocks.

Key Point

No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.

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