Manufactured and relocatable homes

Manufactured home means a self-contained dwelling (that is, a dwelling that includes at least one kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living area and that also includes toilet and laundry facilities), being a dwelling—

  1. that comprises one or more major sections, and
  2. that is not a motor vehicle, trailer or other registrable vehicle within the meaning of the Road Transport Act 2013,

and includes any associated structures that form part of the dwelling.

Relocatable home means a manufactured home or other moveable dwelling, other than a tent, caravan, campervan or vehicle capable of being registered—

  1. whether or not self-contained, and
  2. that consists of at least 1 major section, including an associated structure forming part of the dwelling.

Associated structure means—

  1. a carport, garage, shed, pergola, verandah or other structure designed to enhance the amenity of a moveable dwelling and attached to or integrated with, or located on the same site as, the dwelling concerned, or
  2. a separating wall between 2 moveable dwellings.

Note: Relocatable homes are a type of manufactured home. Manufactured homes must have an enclosed floor area of at least 35 square metres, however a relocatable home can be smaller with a minimum enclosed floor area of 15 square metres. 

 

 

Manufactured homes are constructed in a separate location, such as a factory, and brought to site on a truck and attached to footings.  Construction of manufactured homes and associated structures is regulated under the Local Government (Manufactured Home Estates, Caravan Parks, Camping Grounds and Moveable Dwellings) Regulation 2021 and Australian Standards.

Manufactured homes and associated structures must:

  • be of a design certified by a practising structural engineer as structurally sound; and
  • be installed in accordance with the specifications in the engineer’s certificate; and
  • have a compliance plate.  

Manufactured homes are not the same as a building that was originally built on site and is later relocated.

Exemptions

In some circumstances manufactured homes can be placed on land not in a manufactured home estate without approval from Council.

Approval is not required for: Other Council approvals: Other considerations:
Installation of 1 manufactured home for use by a person for up to 2 years who has been displaced because of a natural disaster. Where the land has a pre-existing connection to Council’s reticulated water and sewer infrastructure, connection to the site’s existing internal plumbing may be carried out by a licensed plumber without further Council approval. Other related approvals under Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 must be obtained. See Other approvals below. It is recommended to consider environmental risks such as flooding, bushfire and heat when siting a manufactured home on your land. Some manufactured homes have not been designed to protect people from extreme conditions.

 

Other approvals

Other relevant approvals under Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 must be obtained, including approval to operate a greywater system, approval to operate or modify an onsite sewage management system (e.g., septic systems and compost toilets in unsewered areas), approval to connect to reticulated water and sewer infrastructure (if no existing connection exists), approval to dispose of stormwater onsite (where roof stormwater is not able to be discharged to a stormwater easement or Council road), and approval to install a solid fuel/wood heater.

If vegetation clearing or driveway construction are proposed, separate approvals for these works must also be obtained.

Use of a manufactured home for a dwelling, secondary dwelling or dual occupancy

Outside of the exemption above, a manufactured home may be used instead of a building for a dwelling.  This requires approval under two separate Acts:

  1. Approval to install a manufactured home is required under the Local Government Act 1993, and
  2. Development consent for use of land for a dwelling is required under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

An applicant may lodge a development application (DA) with Council for use of the land for a dwelling and installation of a manufactured home in the same application.  Alternatively, an applicant may lodge a DA with Council for use of the land for a dwelling and lodge a separate application under Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 for installation of the manufactured home.

There is currently no fast-track complying development pathway available for manufactured homes or buildings that are relocated.

Note: Where the land is mapped as bushfire prone, Planning for Bushfire Protection 2019 applies and must be considered in relation to access, asset protection zones, water supply and construction standards. 

How the manufactured home is proposed to be used, and therefore how the land use is defined, will determine what planning controls apply. Use the Online Form below to work out the land use definition,

Online Form

 

 

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