Local Environmental Plan

Local Environment Plans (LEPs) are the main planning tool to shape the future of communities and also ensure local development is done appropriately. They do this through zoning and development controls, which provides a framework for the way land can be used.

Prior to granting consent for development, we must be satisfied that the proposed development satisfies the Coffs Harbour LEP 2013 and relevant provisions of this Plan.

Coffs Harbour Local Environmental Plan 2013 (LEP 2013)

Coffs Harbour Local Environmental Plan 2013 (LEP 2013) currently applies to land in the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area (LGA).

LEP 2013 was made on 27 September 2013 and was prepared in accordance with the Standard Instrument - Principal Local Environmental Plan that applies across New South Wales. Both the written document and maps can be viewed at the NSW Legislation website:

It should be noted that as of 1 December 2021, a reference to an Environment Protection zone E1, E2, E3 or E4 in a document should be taken to be a reference to a Conservation zone C1, C2, C3 or C4. For further information please see Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Amendment (Land Use Zones) Order 2021 (nsw.gov.au)’.

It should also be noted that employment zones have recently been updated by the NSW Government. Changes to employment zones within Coffs Harbour LEP 2013 commenced on 26 April 2023. As of this date, a reference in a document to a former zone under an environmental planning instrument is taken to include a reference to a new zone under the environmental planning instrument. To determine the new zone for previously zoned Business and Industrial land, please refer to the published equivalent zones tables.

Corresponding changes to Coffs Harbour Development Control Plan 2015 were adopted by Council on the 27 April 2023 and came into force on the 28 April 2023.

NB: Document means an Act, statutory or other instrument, contract or agreement, and includes a document issued or made under or for the purposes of an Act or statutory or other instrument.

For the Coffs Harbour LGA, this means the following zone names are changed:

Superceded name	New name (now current)
Zone E1 – National Parks & Nature Reserves	Zone C1 – National Parks and Nature Reserves
Zone E2 – Environmental Conservation	Zone C2 – Environmental Conservation
Zone E3 – Environmental Management	Zone C3 – Environmental Management
Zone B1 – Neighbourhood Centre Zone B2 - Local Centre	Zone E1 - Local Centre
Zone B3 - Commercial Core	Zone E2 - Commercial Centre
Zone B4 - Mixed Use	Zone MU1 - Mixed Use
Zone B5 - Business Development Zone B6 - Enterprise Corridor	Zone E3 - Productivity Support
Zone IN1 - General Industrial	Zone E4 - General Industrial
Zone IN3 - Heavy Industrial	Zone E5 - Heavy Industrial
Zone IN4 - Working Waterfront	Zone W4 -Working Waterfront