Are there requirements for the location of garages and carports?
Yes. The location of garages and carports needs to be considered as part of a dual-occupancy design.
The Missing Middle Housing Design Guide recommends that garages and carports be set back from the front façade and predominant building line and, where possible, located away from the street frontage so they do not dominate the streetscape. It illustrates a 2 m setback from the building line as a good design outcome.
The development must also comply with the applicable Territory Plan and Residential Zones Technical Specifications, including requirements relating to setbacks, parking and vehicle access.
Reference: ACT Missing Middle Housing Design Guide – 4.2B Garages and Carports – https://www.planning.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/3092411/ACT-Missing-Middle-Housing-Design-Guide.pdf & Residential Zones Technical Specifications 2026 – https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/ni/2026-303/current/PDF/2026-303.PDF
Short Answer
Yes. Garages and carports must comply with applicable planning, setback and parking controls. The Design Guide also recommends setting them behind the main building line and away from the street frontage where possible to reduce their visual impact.
Detailed Explanation
Garages and carports associated with a dual occupancy must comply with the applicable Territory Plan requirements and Residential Zones Technical Specifications.
In addition, Section 4.2B of the Missing Middle Housing Design Guide provides specific design guidance encouraging garages and carports to be set back from the front façade and predominant building line and located away from frontages where possible, to reduce their visual dominance. Figure 61 illustrates a setback of at least 2 m from the building line as a design approach.
The 2 m shown in Figure 61 should not be described as a universal mandatory setback solely on the basis of the Design Guide; the applicable statutory setback must be determined from the Territory Plan controls for the particular site. ACT Planning distinguishes Territory Plan requirements from the design guidance that applicants must consider.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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