Hawkesbury Dual Occupancy Consultation Opens Until 29 October

Hawkesbury dual occupancy consultation is now open, with submissions due on 29 October 2026. Council’s 2 October notice invites feedback on a planning proposal for detached dual occupancies in specified rural and conservation zones. Updated 3 October 2026.

This updates our earlier report about expected exhibition dates. The council notice supersedes the forecast timetable; the proposal is on exhibition, not an adopted permission to build.

What council is proposing

The Hawkesbury City Council notice describes permitting detached dual occupancy with consent where attached dual occupancies are already permitted. It identifies RU1, RU2, RU4, RU5, C3 and C4 zones.

Read the exhibited planning proposal and associated documents through the council notice. A zone appearing in that list does not establish that every property in it can accommodate the development. The detailed provisions and property constraints need assessment.

What owners can do during exhibition

Check the zoning of your land and identify which part of the proposal affects your intended project. In a submission, separate a question about your individual property from feedback on the proposed rule. Use the council’s official submission channel and deadline; a comment on this website is not a council submission.

If you are already considering a build, ask a planner what the current rules allow and what would depend on the proposal being finalised. Don’t order a dwelling on the assumption that consultation will produce approval. Keep any supplier deposit conditions aligned with that uncertainty.

Dual occupancy is a separate planning question

This proposal concerns detached dual occupancy. It should not be treated as a blanket change to every secondary-dwelling pathway or a right to subdivide. Our dual occupancy comparison explains the questions to resolve before choosing a project category.

For the wider policy background, see the NSW rural housing inquiry update. Follow the council record for the exhibition outcome, and use our planning news hub for related coverage.

Keep current and proposed scenarios separate

For budgeting, label any design that relies on the proposal as conditional. Ask the supplier what happens to a deposit if the final provisions differ or the property cannot qualify. Get that answer before making a payment, rather than assuming a later planning decision will match the exhibition documents.

After exhibition, check the council record for the outcome and any subsequent amendment. A submission deadline tells you when feedback closes; it doesn’t establish a commencement date. Retain the version of the proposal you reviewed so you can compare it with any final instrument.

By The Granny Flat Guide Team. Last updated October 2026. About our research · Project budget calculator