Redland · South East Queensland · Development guide
Building a new house in Redland: rules, approval and what the data shows
Zone rules from Redland City Plan plus real outcomes from decided Redland council applications. Data current as of 26 July 2026.
According to Casa Intelligence analysis of 12 decided dwelling-house applications in Redland, 75% were approved, with a median decision time of 280 days.
75%
Approval rate
9 of 12 decided applications
280 days
Median decision time
Lodgement to decision (n=12)
12
Decided applications
Comparable dwelling-house applications
18
Zones tracked
Rules from Redland City Plan
Do you need council approval for a new house (including knockdown-rebuild) in Redland?
Queensland's Planning Act 2016 sorts development into three assessment categories: accepted development (no development application needed if you meet the stated requirements), code assessable (a DA assessed against the planning scheme's codes, no public notification), and impact assessable (a DA with public notification and third-party appeal rights). Which category applies to your project is set by Redland City Plan — and it depends on your zone, any precinct that applies, and the overlays on your lot.
A new house on a standard residential lot usually does not need a planning approval — building approval (through a private certifier) is the main process. But the exceptions are exactly what the decided applications on this page are: character and heritage overlays, small or irregular lots, steep or flood-affected land, and non-standard zones can each turn a new house or knockdown-rebuild into a development application under Redland City Plan.
None of this is answerable with certainty at council level — the pathway for your project is set by your lot's zone, precinct and overlays together. A free Casa block check reads those for your exact address in seconds.
New house rules by zone in Redland
Zone-level provisions from Redland City Plan. Zone rules are the starting point — precinct mapping and overlays can tighten them for individual lots.
| Zone | Max height | Site cover | Setbacks (front / side / rear) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Facilities | 15 m / 3 storeys | 60% | 0 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Conservation | 8.5 m / 1 storeys | 5% | 10 m / 5 m / 6 m |
| Character Residential | 8.5 m / 2 storeys | 50% | 6 m / 1.5 m / 3 m |
| District Centre | 22 m / 6 storeys | 80% | 0 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Emerging Community | 9.5 m / 2 storeys | 50% | 6 m / 1.5 m / 3 m |
| Environmental Management | 8.5 m / 2 storeys | 10% | 10 m / 5 m / 6 m |
| Local Centre | 12 m / 3 storeys | 75% | 0 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Low Density Residential | 8.5 m / 2 storeys | 50% | 6 m / 1.5 m / 3 m |
| Low Impact Industry | 12 m / 3 storeys | 75% | 6 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Low-Medium Density Residential | 9.5 m / 3 storeys | 50% | 6 m / 1.5 m / 3 m |
| Major Centre | 35 m / 10 storeys | 85% | 0 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Medium Density Residential | 12 m / 3 storeys | 55% | 6 m / 2 m / 3 m |
| Medium Impact Industry | 15 m / 3 storeys | 75% | 6 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Mixed Use | 15 m / 4 storeys | 75% | 0 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Neighbourhood Centre | 9.5 m / 2 storeys | 70% | 6 m / 1.5 m / 3 m |
| Principal Centre | 30 m / 8 storeys | 80% | 0 m / 0 m / 3 m |
| Recreation and Open Space | 8.5 m / 2 storeys | 10% | 6 m / 1.5 m / 3 m |
| Rural | 8.5 m / 2 storeys | 10% | 10 m / 5 m / 6 m |
“—” means the value is not recorded in our rules dataset, not that no rule exists. Always confirm against the current planning scheme before relying on a figure.
How new-house applications have fared in Redland
Across 12 decided dwelling-house applications recorded against Redland council, 9 were approved — an approval rate of 75%. That reflects a solid, though not automatic, track record for this kind of proposal. These are real, decided applications assessed by the council, not estimates or modelling.
The median time from lodgement to decision was 280 days (measured across the 12 applications in this cohort with both dates recorded). That is a longer-than-typical assessment timeframe — worth building into your project programme. Individual applications vary widely with information requests, referrals and the assessment pathway for the specific site.
We do not hold enough charged decision notices in this cohort to publish a median infrastructure charge for Redland. As a statutory ceiling, Queensland caps adopted charges at $36,670.70 per three-or-more-bedroom dwelling or lot (2025–26 indexed) — an upper bound, not an estimate for your project.
Recent new-house decisions in Redland
The most recent decided dwelling-house applications in this cohort, cited by real council application number so you can verify each one yourself.
| Application | Decision | Decided | Days to decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCU24/0100 | Refused | 27 Mar 2025 | 268 days |
| MCU22/0155 | Approved | 18 Dec 2024 | 785 days |
| MCU23/0014 | Refused | 13 Dec 2023 | 303 days |
| MCU23/0047 | Approved | 29 Sept 2023 | 149 days |
| MCU19/0056 | Approved | 16 Feb 2022 | 1021 days |
New house in Redland: common questions
Do I need council approval for a new house (including knockdown-rebuild) in Redland?
It depends on your lot's zone, precinct and overlays under Redland City Plan. Queensland sorts development into accepted (no DA if requirements are met), code assessable (DA without public notification) and impact assessable (DA with public notification). Some compliant proposals of this type proceed without a planning application, others need a full DA. The only reliable way to know your pathway is to check your specific address.
What is the approval rate for new house (including knockdown-rebuild) applications in Redland?
75% of the 12 decided dwelling-house applications recorded against Redland council were approved (median 280 days to decision). Figures are indicative, derived from decided council records; past decisions do not guarantee future outcomes.
How long does new house (including knockdown-rebuild) approval take in Redland?
The median time from lodgement to decision across the 12 dated applications in this cohort was 280 days. Individual applications vary with information requests, referrals and the assessment pathway that applies to the site.
About this guide
Zone rules on this page are drawn from Redland City Plan as recorded in our dataset, and application statistics from decided development applications recorded against Redland council, current as of 26 July 2026. Planning schemes are amended over time and precincts, neighbourhood plans and overlays can vary the rules for individual lots. Past decisions describe how comparable proposals have fared — they do not guarantee, and cannot predict, the outcome of any future application. This page is general information, not planning or legal advice.
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Council-level rules tell you the framework. A free block check reads the zone, precinct and overlays for your address: Casa Score, zone and overlay position, in seconds.
Find out what these rules mean for your site
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