6-8-3RuralZoneCode_102_23-Mar-2026

Under the planning act 6.8.3	Rural Zone Code
6.8.3.1	Application
This code applies to:- assessable development on land within the Rural zone as identified on the zoning maps contained within Schedule 2 (Mapping); and acceptable development subject to requirements and identified as requiring assessment against the Rural zone code by the tables of assessment in Part 5 (Tables of assessment).
6.8.3.2	Purpose and overall outcomes
The purpose of the Rural zone is to: provide for rural uses and activities; and provide for other uses and activities that are compatible with: existing and future rural uses and activities; and the character and environmental features of the zone; and maintain the capacity of land for rural uses and activities by protecting and managing significant natural resources and processes. The overall outcomes sought for the Rural zone are as follows:- The establishment of a wide range of rural activities is facilitated, including animal husbandry, aquaculture, cropping, horticulture, roadside stalls, rural industries, forest practices, wholesale nurseries and other primary production and compatible uses. The viability of existing and future rural activities is protected from the intrusion of incompatible uses. Areas for primary production are conserved and lot fragmentation is avoided. Existing extractive industries and key resource areas are protected from the intrusion of incompatible uses. Rural activities embrace sustainable land management practices and contribute to the amenity and landscape of the area. Livestock enterprises are predominantly pasture fed, free range operations. More intensive rural activities including animal keeping, intensive horticulture and extractive industry may be established in the zone provided that adverse environmental and amenity impacts including the generation of noise, dust or odour are avoided with sensitive land uses buffered from impacts. Lot reconfigurations are typically limited to instances of protecting remnant vegetation or riparian corridors or improving the delivery or function of regional infrastructure. The establishment of outdoor recreation and small-scale tourism facilities in suitable locations is facilitated in a manner that does not significantly compromise the rural productivity or ecological values of the land. The Rural zone provides housing for permanent residents. Visitor accommodation complements rural uses and promotes the sustainable use of rural land, with no resultant changes to the rural amenity or rural production of the area. The home of permanent residents may be occasionally available for short term guests where it is in addition to the principal function of a dwelling house to house permanent resident(s) Nature based tourism adopts exemplary standards of ecologically sustainable design and facilitates appreciation of the natural environment. Rural activities provide for appropriate value adding to produce on site where adverse environmental and amenity impacts are avoided. Home-based businesses which add to the economic sustainability of the hinterland are established where the nature, scale and intensity of the activity is compatible with the character and amenity of the surrounding locality. Development is reflective of, and sensitively responds to, the environmental constraints of the land. Natural features such as creeks, gullies, waterways, wetlands and vegetated hillslopes and ridgelines are retained, managed and enhanced where possible. Development maintains and enhances the significant scenic and landscape values of the area. The built form of development integrates with and complements the rural character intended for the zone and sensitively responds to the landscape. Development does not reduce the vegetated open space and rural landscapes that frame distinct towns and villages. Development protects and provides for recreational trails. Development does not adversely impact on the continued operation, viability and maintenance of existing infrastructure or compromise the future provision of planned infrastructure.
Alternate provisions to the Queensland Development Code For the purpose of Section 10 of the Building Regulation 2006 and Section 33 of the Building Act 1975, nominated provisions in Table 6.8.3.3 below are alternate provisions to the QDC.
Acceptable outcomes are provided for some, but not all, performance outcomes, and identify ways in which performance outcomes can be met. Compliance with the performance outcome should be demonstrated and the acceptable outcomes are considered as one way to satisfy the corresponding performance outcome.
6.8.3.3	Assessment Criteria
Table 6.8.3.3.1 - Criteria for assessment
	 Performance outcomes	Acceptable Outcomes	Comments  Role and function	 	 PO1 Land uses in the Rural zone are limited to those which are compatible with agriculture and the protection of environmental and landscape values, and which showcase local food production and creative artisan industries.	No acceptable outcome provided.	The proposed works do not involve establishing a new use.  The proposed car park and laydown area are located within an established industrial use. 	 PO2 Development does not result in the loss or diminished productive capacity of Agricultural Land Conservation Area. Editor’s Note—Agricultural Land Conservation Areas are shown on the Agricultural Land Overlay Maps in Schedule 2	AO2.1 Development that is incompatible with agricultural activities is not located on Agricultural Land Conservation Area and an adequate separation area between the development and the Agricultural Land Conservation Area is provided. AO2.2 Where there is an overriding need for incompatible development to be located on Agricultural Land Conservation Area, the development does not have an irreversible impact on the productive capacity of Agricultural Land Conservation Area. Editor’s Notes— An irreversible impact on agricultural land includes a permanent reduction or decline in the agricultural land, notwithstanding that the land may be used for agriculture post-development, e.g. land that could support crops pre-development that can only be used for improved pasture post-development. Aquaculture is specifically permissible on Agricultural Land Conservation Area. AO2.3 Where located in the Agricultural Land Conservation Area accommodation is of a temporary or semi-permanent nature (such as tents, yurts, relocatable dwellings or recreational vehicles) or it adaptively reuses well-established rural buildings. AO2.4 With the exception of a dwelling house, no sensitive land use is established closer than 200 metres from land on an adjacent property included in the Rural zone and mapped as Agricultural Land Conservation Area as shown in Agricultural Land Overlap Maps in Schedule 2.	The site is not identified as being in the Agricultural Land Conservation Area map. The site is not identified as being in the Agricultural Land Conservation Area map. The site is not identified as being in the Agricultural Land Conservation Area map. The proposed works do not involve establishing a new use.  The proposed car park and laydown area are located within an established industrial use. 	 PO3 With the exception of one dwelling house, caretaker's accommodation or a community residence, any accommodation activity is limited to use by short-term guests or seasonal workers employed in a rural activity on the same site or on adjoining premises.	AO3.1 Only the occupants of a dwelling house, compliant caretaker's residence or community residence reside on the property for any period greater than three consecutive months. or AO3.2 In addition to residents of the dwelling house, up to 10 people may reside on the site for periods of no more than six consecutive months where they are: employed in a rural activity on the property; or a spouse or child of a person employed in a rural activity on the property.	The proposed works do not involve an accommodation activity. The proposed works do not involve an accommodation activity. 	 PO4 Visitor accommodation: is at a small scale and low density that protects the environmental and rural values of the land; is compatible with rural activities and nature conservation; does not detract from the rural amenity of adjoining properties; and does not replace the dwelling house for permanent resident(s).	AO4.1 Buildings and structures for visitor accommodation uses do not occupy more than 5% of the site area with no more than 1,000m2 of gross floor area. AO4.2 For self-contained accommodation, site density does not exceed one accommodation building per hectare. AO4.3 For a retreat, lodge or guest house not consisting of self-contained accommodation, a maximum of two guest rooms are provided per hectare of site area. AO4.4 For Tourist Parks: site density does not exceed five camping or caravan sites per hectare; and the total area of all buildings and roofed structures associated with the use does not exceed 250m2	The proposed works do not involve an accommodation activity. The proposed works do not involve an accommodation activity. The proposed works do not involve an accommodation activity. The proposed works do not involve an accommodation activity. 	 PO5 Uses such as nature-based tourism, outdoor education, environment facilities and outdoor sport and recreation may be appropriate where: they cannot be more appropriately located in urban areas; they have an indelible connection to rural or ecological values of the site; there is an overriding community benefit of the development; they are not located on Agricultural Land Conservation Area as shown on the Agricultural Land Overlap Maps in Schedule 2 or are temporary in nature so as not to compromise agricultural uses in the future; and they do not interfere with remnant vegetation or ecologically important areas.	No acceptable outcome provided.	The proposed works do not involve any uses such as those listed at PO5.  The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. 	 PO6 Extractive industry operations are limited to designated Key Resource Areas and at other known resources deposits where: best practice environmental management is met; the amenity of residents in the vicinity of extractive industry operations is maintained; they do not conflict with agricultural operations; the safety of rural roads is ensured; and the visual amenity of the rural area as viewed from the major road network is protected.	No acceptable outcome provided.	The proposed works do not involve Extractive industry.  The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area.  Built form	 	 Building height and scale PO7 Buildings and other structures: are low rise; minimise the appearance of bulk to adjacent properties, roads or other areas in the vicinity of the site; and respect the scale of surrounding vegetation and maximises opportunities to retain existing vegetation on site.	AO7.1 Buildings are no more than two storeys in height. AO7.2 With the exception of Class 10 buildings or structures used exclusively for a rural activity, buildings and structures are no more than 8 metres in building height providing that they may be up to 9 metres where the pitched roof but no other part of the building or structure exceeds 8 metres. Alternative provision to the QDC AO7.3 With the exception of Class 10 buildings or structures used exclusively for a rural activity, individual buildings or roofed structures do not exceed 500m2 gross floor area. AO7.4 Class 10 buildings used exclusively for the purpose of animal husbandry, aquaculture, cropping, intensive animal industry, intensive horticulture or rural industry do not exceed 12 metres in height. AO7.5 A structure, not constituting a building, used exclusively for the purpose of animal husbandry, aquaculture, cropping, intensive animal industry, intensive horticulture or rural industry does not exceed 15 metres in height. AO7.6 The exposed portion of the external elevation of the building cannot exceed the respective building heights in AO7.1, AO7.2, AO7.3, AO7.4 and AO7.5 above and do not appear to exceed more than two storeys when viewed externally from any elevation. Editor's note—refer to figure AP3-13A	No new buildings are proposed. The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. No new buildings are proposed. The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. No new buildings are proposed. The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. No new buildings are proposed. The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. No new structures are proposed. The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. No new buildings are proposed. The works involve creation of a carpark and laydown area. 	 Setbacks PO8 Notwithstanding that intensive rural activities may need greater separation distances, buildings and other structures are appropriately sited and designed to: avoid environmental harm or nuisance to sensitive land uses, including adverse impacts on amenity values, over and above what could reasonably be expected in the rural zone; avoid adverse impact on ecologically important areas including National Parks, watercourses, and wetlands; mitigate risks associated with the use of chemicals or air pollutants; and avoid conflict with rural uses and activities on adjoining properties. Editor's note- For uses that are subject to impact assessment, required setback and separation distances will vary with the scale and type of rural activity. Relevant factors that will be taken into account when determining appropriate distances include the type and scale of buildings and structures proposed, the use of buildings and structures, construction methods, level of containment and ventilation, potential noise, odour or air pollutant nuisance, topography, climatic variables, existing vegetation between land uses, and a range of management practices that can be employed to mitigate off-site impacts.	AO8.1 Buildings used to house animals, temporary holding yards, structures containing areas of animal waste or by-product disposal are not within 100 metres of: the boundary of properties in a residential zone including the rural residential zone; a sensitive land use; the boundary of adjoining properties in the environmental management and conservation zone, unless such land is in private ownership; or a waterway shown on the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Maps in Schedule 2. AO8.2 Buildings or structures which are used for the storage of chemicals or machinery, stockpiling of composting or organic fertilisers, or which support artificial lighting or irrigation sprayers are not within 100 metres of: the boundary of properties in a residential zone including the rural residential zone; a sensitive land use; the boundary of adjoining properties in the environmental management and conservation zone, unless such land is in private ownership; or a waterway shown on the Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetlands Overlay Maps in Schedule 2. AO8.3 With the exception of a roadside stall, buildings and structures associated with a rural activity or industrial activity are set back 20 metres from a road reserve or 40 metres from any part of the major road network. AO8.4 In addition to the circumstances of AO8.1, to AO8.3 above, buildings and structures meet the following minimum boundary setbacks: 20 metres from a property boundary of adjoining land in the Environmental management and conservation zone, unless such land is in private ownership; a distance greater than the width of the riparian buffer area shown on Biodiversity, Waterways and Wetland Overlay maps; 10 metres from a road frontage; and 10 metres from the side and rear boundaries or 6 metres where the lot area does not exceed 1 hectare, with the exception that if the height of the building or structure exceeds 9 metres the setback to the side and rear boundaries is equal to twice its height in metres. AO8.5 With the exception of a Dwelling house, on properties over 2 hectares in area, a distance of not less than 200 metres is provided between any sensitive land use and land on an adjacent rural zoned property with over 4 hectares of land mapped as Agricultural Land Conservation Area. Alternative provision to the QDC	No new buildings are proposed. Intensive rural activities are not proposed. No new buildings or structures are proposed. No new buildings or structures are proposed. No new buildings or structures are proposed. The site is not identified on the Agricultural Land Conservation Area and does not involve a sensitive land use.  Safety and amenity	 	 PO9 Development does not result in environmental harm or environmental nuisance to sensitive land uses.	No acceptable outcome provided	The proposed works include environmental controls such as stormwater management and erosion and sediment control to ensure there are no impacts to the environmental values of the adjacent waterway.  Refer the Environmental Assessment that has been submitted with this code. 	 PO10 Development does not compromise the safety, capacity or operation of the road network.	AO10 Safe vehicular access is provided to and from the site without adversely impacting on the safety of the road network.	A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) has been prepared for the proposed carpark / laydown area and is provided as an attachment to this submission. The TMP confirms the site access / egress, parking and maneuvering is able to occur in accordance with the relevant safety standards.  Environment, heritage and scenic amenity	 	 PO11 Development does not have a significant adverse impact on the natural values of the site including through: loss of biodiversity values, fauna habitat and fish passage; changes to natural drainage; disturbance to any wetland systems; erosion and the transport of sediments off site (including pollutants and other contaminants which would affect the capacity of agricultural lands); worsening of landslide or fire risk; on-site effluent disposal; creation of dust and air pollutants; disturbance of buildings and features, including natural features, of cultural heritage significance.	AO11.1 Development does not result in sediment, soil or other material including building materials or waste products being released into the road reserve, stormwater drains, waterways or adjacent properties. AO11.2 Natural Vegetation is retained wherever possible. AO11.3 Where there is a nominated building envelope on the lot, clearing of native vegetation and building works do not extend beyond the building envelope, except for the purposes of a driveway access.	The proposed works include environmental controls such as stormwater management and erosion and sediment control to ensure there are no impacts to the environmental values of the adjacent waterway. Refer to the Erosion and Sediment Control Plan with the Environmental Assessment submitted with this code. The proposed works do not involve the removal of any vegetation. There is no known nominated building envelope applicable on the lot. 	 PO12 Development and associated site works do not directly, indirectly or cumulatively cause adverse impacts external to the development site by: causing ponding of water; increasing flooding, which adversely affects the safety or use of any land upstream and downstream; adversely affecting the flow of water in any overland flow path.	AO12 Development and associated site works, including filling and excavation are designed and constructed to ensure overland flow and/or flooding is not worsened, impeded, or otherwise diverted to adversely affect other properties.	The proposed works area is relatively flat and does not require assessable filling or excavation to create the carpark / laydown area.  There are no foreseeable impacts to the existing flood character of the site and upstream / downstream areas. 	 Scenic amenity PO13 Development does not detract from the scenic amenity of the hinterland as experienced from the major road network or waterways.	AO13 Development on land adjoining the major road network, Lake Macdonald or the Noosa River system minimises visual impacts on the scenic amenity of the roadway or waterway by: sensitive siting and design of buildings, structures, driveways and works; retaining existing vegetation; incorporating landscape treatments to visually screen and soften development; and incorporating building materials and external finishes that are compatible with the site’s visual character and landscape setting. Editor’s Note— Residential buildings should be predominantly finished in colours and materials that blend well with the colours and hues of the surrounding vegetation and landscape without causing glare or reflection. For agricultural buildings, colours and textures that blend with the natural setting are preferred however if not practical, buildings should at least be well maintained and/or visually screened.	Lake Macdonald is identified as a Major Road on the Strategic Framework Map 3.  However, the proposed carpark and laydown area are open air design, and do not contain any roofed structures or buildings.   No vegetation is being removed, and the locality of the proposed works is setback at least 100 metres from the road and is screened by mature vegetation. 	 PO14 The visual amenity of Lake Macdonald, its foreshores and immediate surrounds are maintained or improved including views: from the lake; to the lake and beyond when viewed from private lands and from public areas, including the Botanical Gardens.	No acceptable outcome provided	The site locality is not within the visual catchment of Lake Macdonald. 	 Sloping sites and ridgelines PO15 The landscape character and visual amenity quality of hill slopes and ridgelines are retained and buildings and structures: are visually responsive to the natural topography of the site, sitting within the landscape rather than dominating it; step down slopes or use suspended floor construction, minimising cut and fill and avoiding benching of the site; allow for retention of natural vegetation that assists in screening or visually softening development; and incorporate materials, finishes and colours that complement the natural setting and integrate with the landscape and skyline.	AO15.1 To protect scenic amenity and other landscape qualities, buildings, structures and associated accessways are not constructed on land with a slope greater than 25%. AO15.2 On sloping sites or on ridgelines at the uppermost edge of a hill slope: roof lines are generally parallel with contours of the land; roofs do not exceed a pitch of 15 degrees; and buildings do not protrude above the height of prevailing vegetation. Editor's note- refer to Figure 6.9.1A and Figure 6.9.1B. and Figure AP3-3B. AO15.3 On sloping sites and ridgelines, cut or fill is less than 1.5 metres in depth relative to natural ground surface. Editor’s Note— On visually prominent hill slopes or ridgelines residential buildings should be predominantly finished in colours and materials that blend well with the colours and hues of the surrounding vegetation and landscape without causing glare or reflection. Broad expanses of a single colour are less desirable and where possible should be broken up by other colours or design elements. Shades in the violet, blue, green and yellow-green side of the spectrum, as well as greys or browns, should be appropriate with whites or bright colours restricted to trimmings. For agricultural buildings, colours and textures that blend with the natural setting are preferred however if not practical, buildings should at least be well maintained and/or visually screened.	The site is relatively flat (1-3%) and does not have any slope greater than 25%. The site is relatively flat and does not contain any ridgeline. The site is relatively flat and does not contain any ridgeline.  Noosa Trail Network	 	 PO16 A comprehensive network of bridle trails and pedestrian and bicycle linkages is established, enhanced and protected incorporating road reserves, State forests, Council owned land and private lands consistent with the lifestyle and outdoor recreation needs of Noosa Shire’s residents and visitors.	AO16.1 Development includes linkages to or between existing or future components of the Noosa Trail Network, as indicated on the Strategic Framework Map - SFM3 Infrastructure. AO16.2 Development does not have an adverse impact on the access functions of the Noosa Trail Network.	The site is not identified as being part of the existing or future Noosa Trail Network. The site is not identified as being part of the existing or future Noosa Trail Network. The proposed works have no foreseeable impacts on the Noosa Trail Network.

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Print Date: 23/03/2026
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Noosa Plan 2020: Amendment 3
Part 6 Zones \ 6.8 Other Zones Category \ 6.8.3 Rural Zone Code

Noosa Plan 2020: Amendment 3
Part 6 Zones \ 6.8 Other Zones Category \ 6.8.3 Rural Zone Code