Property development guide

What can I develop on my property in Maroubra?

Explore some of the planning controls, development opportunities and approval considerations that may affect properties in Maroubra.

Every property is different, so the development potential should always be checked against the controls applying to the individual site.

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What development may be possible in Maroubra?

Maroubra is one of the larger eastern suburbs residential areas, with generous postwar lots on the ridges and slopes inland, denser older apartment stock closer to the beach, and a mix of coastal, flood and stormwater considerations.

Maroubra is mostly low density residential land under Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012, with medium and higher density pockets near the beach, Maroubra Junction and along the main road corridors.

Depending on the property, owners commonly explore extensions, knock-down rebuilds, granny flats or secondary dwellings, dual occupancy on wider lots, subdivision of the deeper postwar blocks, and multi dwelling housing where medium density zoning applies.

Maroubra's larger average lot sizes make it one of the eastern suburbs areas where a duplex or subdivision is more often worth testing, but the answer still depends on the controls mapped to the individual site.

Renovations and extensions
Knock-down rebuilds
Granny flats or secondary dwellings
Dual occupancies
Subdivision
Townhouses or multiple dwellings
Redevelopment
Combining adjoining properties

These are not automatically available on every property. Zoning, lot dimensions, heritage, site constraints and other planning controls all matter.

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What could you do with your property?

Improve your home

Make your property work better for you and your family.

Renovations
Extensions
Additional bedrooms
Additional living space
Granny flats
Secondary dwellings
Knock-down rebuilds
Major home upgrades

Unlock more from your land

Understand whether your property could accommodate more homes, lots or development.

Dual occupancies
Townhouses
Subdivision
Battle-axe lots
Additional dwellings
Increased dwelling yield
Redevelopment opportunities

Combine & develop

Sometimes the bigger opportunity comes from bringing properties together.

Adjoining properties
Multiple neighbouring lots
Strata apartment blocks
Collective redevelopment
Site amalgamation
Larger development sites

Your property may have different development potential when considered together with neighbouring land.

What planning controls could affect a property in Maroubra?

The controls below are a high level starting point only. The requirements that actually apply are set by the zoning and controls mapped to your individual lot, so they should always be confirmed for the specific property.

Applicable council: Randwick City Council is the consent authority for most development in Maroubra.
Planning instruments: Randwick LEP 2012 and Randwick DCP 2013 apply, alongside State Environmental Planning Policies including the Housing SEPP and the Complying Development codes.
Residential zoning: Predominantly R2 low density residential, with R3 medium density near the beach, Maroubra Junction and parts of Anzac Parade, and small business zones at the local centres.
Floor space ratio and height: Mapped in the LEP and stepped up around the centres and the beachfront. Low density streets typically carry lower FSR and a two storey scale.
Minimum lot size and frontage: Maroubra's postwar subdivision pattern produced comparatively wide and deep lots, so minimum lot size and frontage tests are met more often here than in the older, narrower eastern suburbs streets.
Setbacks, landscaping and parking: Randwick DCP 2013 sets side and rear setbacks, deep soil landscaping, private open space and parking. On sloping Maroubra sites, excavation and retaining also become design drivers.
Coastal and environmental controls: Land closer to the coast can be affected by coastal management provisions, wind and salt exposure, and view sharing considerations along the escarpment.
Flooding and stormwater: Overland flow paths and low lying land around the former swamp and drainage lines near the beach can trigger flood related development controls.

Which council controls development in Maroubra?

Randwick City Council assesses most development in Maroubra under Randwick LEP 2012 and Randwick DCP 2013.

State planning law sits above those local controls. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 establishes the system, and State Environmental Planning Policies can allow certain development, set minimum standards or provide a Complying Development pathway.

Where more than one instrument applies to the same site, the practical outcome needs to be worked through for that specific property.

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Common development types in Maroubra

Renovations and extensions

Very common on Maroubra's postwar brick houses. First floor additions raise overshadowing, privacy and view sharing questions, particularly on the slopes.

Granny flats and secondary dwellings

Maroubra's deeper rear yards mean a secondary dwelling is often physically achievable, subject to site area, setback, open space and access requirements.

Dual occupancy and duplex development

One of the more frequently tested options in Maroubra because of lot width. Permissibility and the minimum area and frontage standards need to be confirmed for the site.

Subdivision

Deeper blocks sometimes support a battle-axe or rear lot arrangement where minimum lot size, access width and servicing can be satisfied.

Townhouses and multiple dwellings

Generally limited to medium density zoned land near the centres, the beach and the main road corridors.

Knock-down rebuilds

Frequently the most efficient path where the existing house is at the end of its life and the site can support a substantially larger compliant dwelling.

Including a development type here does not mean it is permitted on your property. Permissibility depends on the zone and the standards applying to the individual site.

Would I need a DA or CDC in Maroubra?

Complying Development

Some development can be approved as Complying Development where every applicable requirement in the relevant code is met. It is a faster, standards based pathway, but a single non-compliance or an excluded site removes it.

Development Application

Other development requires a Development Application assessed by the council on its merits. This is the usual pathway where the design departs from a standard or the site is constrained.

The correct pathway depends on the property, the proposed development, the planning controls and the site constraints.

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Does heritage affect development in Maroubra?

Maroubra has fewer heritage constraints than the older parts of Randwick, but individual heritage items exist and some areas carry streetscape or character expectations under the DCP.

Where a property is listed or sits within a conservation area, demolition and the form of new work will be assessed more closely. That does not necessarily rule out development.

Heritage status should be confirmed against the LEP heritage maps for the individual lot.

Could I develop my property with my neighbour?

Combining adjoining properties can sometimes create a larger development site and opportunities that may not be achievable on either property individually.

In Maroubra, combining adjoining properties is most often explored along Anzac Parade and near Maroubra Junction and the beach, where medium or higher density zoning rewards a wider consolidated site.

Two neighbouring houses
Multiple adjoining lots
Strata apartment buildings
Larger coordinated redevelopment sites

Planning controls, ownership structure, site dimensions and commercial considerations all need to be assessed before a combined opportunity can be relied on.

Explore a combined development opportunity

Professional review

Get the opportunity checked by a Registered Planner.

Online information is a useful starting point, but development potential ultimately depends on the individual property.

A Registered Planner can review the relevant controls, identify the major constraints and help you understand what may realistically be achievable.

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Common property development questions in Maroubra

What can I build on my property in Maroubra?

On a typical low density Maroubra lot, options often include a large new house, a substantial extension or a secondary dwelling. Duplex, subdivision or multi dwelling housing depend on the zone, lot size and frontage.

Can I build a duplex in Maroubra?

Maroubra's wider postwar lots mean duplex development is worth testing more often here than elsewhere in the eastern suburbs, but it still requires dual occupancy to be permitted in the zone and the minimum area and width standards to be met.

Can I subdivide my property in Maroubra?

Possibly, where the resulting lots meet the mapped minimum lot size and can achieve compliant access and servicing. Deep blocks are the most common candidates.

Can I build a granny flat in Maroubra?

Often yes on a standard lot, subject to land area, setbacks, private open space and access. Whether it proceeds as Complying Development or a DA depends on the site's constraints.

Can I build townhouses in Maroubra?

Multi dwelling housing is generally restricted to medium density zoned land. On most Maroubra streets, which are low density, it will not be permitted.

Do I need a DA or CDC in Maroubra?

Straightforward houses, alterations and secondary dwellings that meet every code standard can sometimes use Complying Development. Flood affected, heritage affected or unusual sites generally require a DA.

Does flooding affect development in Maroubra?

In some low lying areas and overland flow paths, yes. Flood controls can set minimum floor levels, restrict building footprint and affect whether Complying Development is available.

What zoning applies to my property in Maroubra?

Most of Maroubra is R2 low density residential, with R3 medium density and mixed use zoning near the beach, Maroubra Junction and along Anzac Parade. Zoning is mapped lot by lot.

Does being near the coast change what I can build in Maroubra?

It can. Coastal management provisions, exposure, and view sharing between properties are considered for sites closer to the beach and the escarpment.

Can I develop my Maroubra property with my neighbour?

Where zoning supports it, a combined site can unlock a scale of development that neither lot could achieve alone. Controls, ownership and commercial terms all need to be assessed first.

How do I find out the development potential of my Maroubra property?

Start with your address. Develpr checks the controls applying to the individual property and can arrange review by a Registered Planner.

Planning sources

The controls referenced on this page come from the following authoritative sources. Always confirm the current requirements for the individual property.

Planning content reviewed by a Registered Planner. This guide is general information only and is not planning advice for a specific property.

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