Rural Residential Subdivision Opportunities within the Gold Coast

A Current policy within the Gold Coast City Plan, where Council officers have recently shown leniency is, the subdivision requirements for properties within the Rural Residential Zone. The City Plan identifies the minimum lot size within the Rural Residential Zone as 4,000m², with all subdivisions required to achieve a minimum average lot size of 8,000m2. This can be confusing for property owners to interpret, so we have explained it below.

Under the City Plan benchmarks a property that is 16,000m² can only be subdivided into two lots, to meet the minimum average lot size of 8,000m². However, given the minimum lot size is 4,000m², two lots could be created at, 11,000m² and 5,000m². This would satisfy both the minimum lot size and minimum average.

However, despite the City Plan benchmarks, We have achieved development approvals for two lot subdivisions over a number of properties that are just over 8,000m², creating two allotments of just over 4,000m². These subdivision approvals have achieved the City Plan minimum lot size requirement of 4,000m², but not the average minimum lot size of 8,000m². Evidently, City of Gold Coast officers are still supporting these subdivisions, which is creating opportunities for landowners within the Rural Residential areas of the City, where owners may not be aware that their property has development potential.

Suburbs that include properties within the Rural Residential zone are as follows:

• Tallai
• Mudgeeraba
• Bonogin
• Tallebudgera Valley
• Reedy Creek
• Worongary
• Nerang
• Ormeau

If you own a property that is; over 8,000m², and within any of the suburbs above, there may be an opportunity for a subdivision application. City of Gold Coast planners have unequivocally stated that any subdivisions that create allotments under 4,000m², are unlikely to be supported. However, as long as each lot is over 4,000m², there is a high chance that a two lot subdivision will be supported.