Development Control Plan (DCP)

Planning and Design guidance

A Development Control Plan (DCP) provides detailed planning and design guidance for new development, which supplements the provisions of Randwick Local Environment Plan (LEP) 2012.

Comprehensive Development Control Plan Review

Randwick City Council has commenced the comprehensive review of the existing 2013 DCP. DCPs need to be amended periodically to ensure they meet best planning practice, are strategically aligned with the LEP and local policies along with the directions of state plans.

The review is being progressed in two stages:

Stage 1 included changes to support the approved amendments to the Randwick LEP put forward under the Comprehensive Planning Proposal, including minimum lot size, dual occupancy development, heritage conservation areas and housing investigation areas.
Stage 2 will involve review of all remaining parts of Randwick DCP to ensure the controls align with Council’s strategic directions and to address the evolution in design expectations since it was last comprehensively reviewed in 2013.

Stage 2

Stage 2 Draft DCP will be reported to the Ordinary Council meeting of 18 November 2025.

The draft DCP introduces new chapters addressing local character, public artwork and creative hoardings, co-living (student accommodation) and boarding houses, tourist and visitor accommodation and Little Bay Cove. It also incorporates a review of existing chapters to maintain currency with contemporary planning and design issues, including major updates to medium density residential, heritage and night time economy.

Following Council's endorsement, the draft DCP will be placed on public exhibition. The draft chapters for the DCP (stage 2) are below:

Stage 1

Stage 1 DCP commenced on 1st September 2023. This means that any development application lodged (i.e. submitted and with fees paid) on or after the 1st September 2023 that proposes works covered by the new Stage 1 DCP parts will be assessed against the new DCP parts. They are as follows:

Part C1 Low Density Residential PDF, 1497.65 KB– new development and alterations and additions to dwelling houses, dual occupancies (attached and detached), semi-detached dwellings and secondary dwellings
Part E7 Housing Investigation PDF, 4525.66 KB– new development and alterations and additions to existing development within the housing investigation areas
Part B2 Heritage PDF, 3154.74 KB – new development and alterations and additions to existing development within Heritage Conservation Areas
Part E2 Randwick PDF, 4101.16 KB - Education and Health Specialised Centre – development within the Health and Education Centre.

All other parts of Randwick DCP 2013, are still in force. See links provided in the section below - Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013.

Kensington North and West Randwick R3 Housing Investigation Areas (HIAs)

In response to the re-inclusion of Kensington North and West Randwick R3 HIAs by the Department of Planning, an updated draft Part E7 Housing Investigation Areas has been prepared to provide design guidance for development proposals within the Kensington North and West Randwick R3 HIAs. On 19 September 2023 Council resolved to adopt interim controls for these areas, pending formal public exhibition. The updated draft Part E7 will be released for community and stakeholder consultation as part of the Stage 2 review.

Part E7 - Housing Investigation Areas (Updated)
PDF, 11566.89 KB

For development within all other HIA areas, please continue to refer to the finalised Stage 1 version dated 27 June 2023.

Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013

Randwick DCP 2013 was approved at the Council meeting of Tuesday 28 May 2013 and formally commenced on Friday 14 June 2013. The 2013 DCP comprises the following:

Cover and Contents PDF, 87.38 KB

Part A - Introduction

This Part provides introductory information and explains the structure of the DCP and how to use it. It describes key requirements to be addressed in development applications (DAs). Please note that Section A3 - Public Notification of part A is no longer applicable and has been repealed and superseded by provisions in the Community Engagement Strategy (CES) which was adopted by Council on 13 December 2022. The CES can be accessed here.

Part A - Introduction PDF, 5695.42 KB

Part B - General Controls

This Part contains key controls that apply to all DAs and should be read in addition to the controls for particular development types and locations in other Parts of the DCP.

This Part covers design, heritage, ecologically sustainable development, landscaping and biodiversity, trees and vegetation, recycling and waste, traffic, parking and access, water management, management plans, foreshore scenic protection areas and laneway development.

Part B - General Controls PDF, 4704.98 KB

Part C - Residential

This Part establishes provisions for all types of residential accommodation and includes guidance on site planning, building envelopes, building design, setbacks, open space, landscaped area, amenity, car parking and ancillary elements for low density and medium density residential development. This Part also has separate sections on boarding houses and adaptable and universal housing.

Part C1 Low Density Residential (replaced by Stage 1 update. See above for revised chapter for C1)
Medium Density Residential PDF, 2123.27 KB
Adaptable & Universal Housing and Boarding Houses PDF, 83.82 KB

Part D - Commercial and Industrial

This Part focuses on the City's commercial centres with specific sections for certain Centres including:

This Part also sets out provisions for specific commercial land uses such as backpackers accommodation, child care centres, footpath dining and trading, late night trading and sex service premises. It also includes a section on industrial development:

Part E - Specific Sites

This Part provides additional provisions for Specific Sites in the City. These override similar provisions in other parts of the DCP unless otherwise noted. The specific sites are:

Bundock St, Randwick PDF, 4020.86 KB
Randwick Education and Health Specialised Centre (replaced by Stage 1 update. See above for revised Chapter)
Royal Randwick Racecourse PDF, 1591.25 KB
Prince Henry Site - Little Bay PDF, 8083.54 KB
Newmarket Green - Randwick E5 PDF, 2875.27 KB
Kensington and Kingsford - PART A PDF, 6804.17 KB
Kensington and Kingsford - PART B PDF, 18105.02 KB
Kensington and Kingsford - PART C PDF, 536.14 KB
Kensington and Kingsford - PART D PDF, 1047.37 KB

Part F - Miscellaneous

This Part includes a range of uses and development that may arise across the City in a variety of zones. It includes provisions relevant to recreation zones, outdoor advertising, Sydney Airport (noise and height), undergrounding overhead powerlines, telecommunications and radio communications, and must be referred to depending on the location and nature of the proposed development.

Part F - Miscellaneous PDF, 604.56 KB

To view the DCP public exhibition documents, including all submissions made on the draft DCP, responses to these submissions and the draft final DCP that was reported to the Council on 28 May 2013, go to the special consultation website Draft DCP.

Note DAs lodged before the 15 February 2013 are assessed under the previous local planning controls, being Randwick LEP 1998 (Consolidation) and previous DCPs. Refer to the archive pages here for the and DCPs and planning policies.

Archived DCPs

View the Archive of previous DCPs .

Public exhibitions

To see any draft plans on exhibition check the community consultation page

Last Updated: 13 November 2025