Rainwater Tanks

Rainwater tanks (above ground)

Rainwater tanks (above ground) cannot be installed as exempt development on land in:

• a foreshore area
• an environmentally sensitive area.

If constructed or installed on or in a heritage item or draft heritage item, the tank must be located in the rear yard.

Additional development standards that must be complied with will depend on the zoning of your land, and are set out in these provisions in the State Policy.

Rainwater tanks (below ground)

The construction or installation of rainwater tanks (below ground) may be exempt development if the proposal meets all the relevant development standards in the State Policy.

Rainwater tanks (below ground) may be exempt development if:

• the land on which the rainwater tank is constructed must be in Zone RU1, RU2, RU3, RU4, RU6 or R5
• if it not on land identified as Class 1-5 on council’s acid sulphate soils map
• it is not on land identified as an environmentally sensitive area.

Additional development standards that must be complied with are set out in these provisions in the State Policy.

Other considerations

• if you propose to remove or prune any existing trees or vegetation, you should contact your council first to make sure you don’t need approval for this.
• works must be structurally adequate, installed in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications and comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA).
• any structures that would be located on public land, or on or over a public road (including temporary structures), must have separate approval from the relevant council, or Roads and Maritime Services under the Roads Act 1993 and the Local Government Act 1993.
• Generally, exempt development cannot be carried out on:
  • land that is, or on which there is, an item that is listed on the State Heritage Register under the Heritage Act 1977 or that is subject to an interim heritage order under that Act (unless an exemption has been granted under section 57 of the Heritage Act 1977);
  • a critical habitat of an endangered species, population or ecological community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995or the Fisheries Management Act 1994;
  • a wilderness area under the Wilderness Act 1987.