Can I put a clothesline or hot water system in the side setback?
Not under the 2026 list of permitted encroachments. Clotheslines and hot-water systems were removed from the items allowed to encroach into a side or rear setback. Rainwater tanks, chimneys, flues, domestic fuel tanks, cooling and heating appliances, meters, aerials, antennae, unroofed pergolas, solar inverters and batteries may still encroach.
Reference: Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-303), Assessment Outcome 14.5- Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026
Short Answer
No. Under the Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026, clotheslines and hot-water systems are no longer permitted to encroach into side or rear setbacks. Other items, such as rainwater tanks, chimneys, flues, domestic fuel tanks, cooling and heating appliances, meters, aerials, antennae, unroofed pergolas, solar inverters, and batteries, may still encroach where permitted.
Detailed Explanation
No.
The Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 removed clotheslines and hot-water systems from the list of structures that are permitted to encroach into side or rear setbacks.
This means they are no longer allowed as permitted encroachments under the 2026 specifications.
However, several other structures may still encroach into these setbacks, including rainwater tanks, chimneys, flues, domestic fuel tanks, cooling and heating appliances, meters, aerials, antennae, unroofed pergolas, solar inverters, and batteries, subject to the applicable requirements in the Technical Specifications.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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