Northern Beaches Council · Lot Size Map

Can I subdivide in Northern Beaches? The minimum lot sizes

The Manly Local Environmental Plan 2013, Pittwater Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Warringah Local Environmental Plan 2011 each set a minimum lot size for each area on their Lot Size Maps. By area alone, a block must be at least twice that size to split into two lots. This page shows the minimums mapped in Northern Beaches' residential zones and how much of each zone they cover. It is indicative, not advice.

Indicative only, not a planning certificate. These figures come from public planning maps. They are not a planning certificate (section 10.7 certificate), a survey or advice, and they do not say whether the council would approve a subdivision.

Minimum lot sizes mapped in residential zones

Zone	Mapped minimum	Share of the zone's mapped part	Block area for 2 lots, by area alone	For 3 lots, by area alone
R1 General Residential 293 ha zoned, about 28% of it blank on the Lot Size Map	250 m²	about 70%	500 m²	750 m²
	300 m²	about 30%	600 m²	900 m²
	Other mapped values (1)	under 1%	–	–
R2 Low Density Residential 4,246 ha zoned, about 2% of it blank on the Lot Size Map	450 m²	about 11%	900 m²	1,350 m²
	500 m²	about 4%	1,000 m²	1,500 m²
	550 m²	about 6%	1,100 m²	1,650 m²
	600 m²	about 66%	1,200 m²	1,800 m²
	700 m²	about 11%	1,400 m²	2,100 m²
	750 m²	about 1%	1,500 m²	2,250 m²
	Other mapped values (10)	about 2%	–	–
R3 Medium Density Residential 417 ha zoned, about 93% of it blank on the Lot Size Map	The Lot Size Map sets a minimum on only about 7% of this zone (250 m², 550 m², 600 m² and 700 m²). Most of it has no mapped minimum, so SplitCheck cannot assess a split there by area.
R5 Large Lot Residential 205 ha zoned, about 2% of it blank on the Lot Size Map	4,000 m²	about 61%	8,000 m²	12,000 m² (1.2 ha)
	20,000 m² (2 ha)	about 39%	40,000 m² (4 ha)	60,000 m² (6 ha)
	Other mapped values (1)	under 1%	–	–

Shares are of the part of each zone that the Lot Size Map covers. They are estimates from sampling the Land Zoning and Lot Size maps on a grid about 10 m apart, so treat them as approximate. Where the map sets different minimums inside one zone, the exact lot decides which number applies.

A zone can include land the Lot Size Map leaves blank. A lot there has no mapped minimum, and SplitCheck will say it cannot assess a split by area. We checked 8 evenly spread points in Northern Beaches' blank residential land against the NSW cadastre: 4 fell on a land lot and 4 did not. So some real lots here have no mapped minimum. Where parts of the council area are planned under a State policy instead of the local plan, those parts are not in these figures.

Worked example. Two 550 m² blocks, both zoned R1.

Where the map says 250 m²: 550 ÷ 250 = 2.2. By area, two lots.

Where the map says 300 m²: 550 ÷ 300 = 1.8. By area, one lot. It cannot be split on area.

Same zone, same size, different answer. Area is only the first test.

What this page does not check

Frontage and lot width. The council's development control plan (DCP) sets these, not the Lot Size Map.
Heritage items and heritage conservation areas.
Flooding, bush fire and other hazards on the lot.
Easements, sewer, water and stormwater.
Access to a rear lot, for example a battle-axe handle.
Existing buildings, setbacks and trees.
Units and townhouses on a strata plan. This page does not apply to them.
Whether the council would approve it. Only a development application or a complying development certificate decides that.

Adding dwellings instead of lots

Dual occupancy, a granny flat, manor houses, terraces, multi-dwelling housing and the NSW low and mid-rise housing rules each have their own tests. Most of them add dwellings on one lot. They do not always create a new lot, so the lot counts above are not dwelling counts.

Check one address

SplitCheck reads the zone, the lot area and the mapped minimum for that exact lot, checks the NSW pathways and shows the working. A confident no counts as an answer. Three checks a month are free.

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Sources

NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, EPI Primary Planning Layers: Minimum Lot Size and Land Zoning. © State Government of NSW. Lot Size Maps: Manly Local Environmental Plan 2013, Pittwater Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Warringah Local Environmental Plan 2011, current to 8 August 2025. Land Zoning Maps: Manly Local Environmental Plan 2013, Pittwater Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Warringah Local Environmental Plan 2011, current to 8 August 2025. Blank-land check: © Department of Customer Service (NSW Spatial Services). NSW Digital Cadastral Database. For current information go to spatial.nsw.gov.au. Map data retrieved 27 September 2026. Page built 27 September 2026.

Indicative only, not a planning certificate. This page is built from public planning maps, not a site visit, a survey or advice. Always confirm with a registered town planner and the council before you rely on it or spend money on it.