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Checking a block before you buy for a modular home
| NSW | Section 10.7 planning certificate from council[1] |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Planning Property Report[2] |
| Queensland | Planning and development certificate[3] |
| Western Australia | Landgate Property Interest Report[4] |
| South Australia | SA Property and Planning Atlas; Form 1 on sale[5][6] |
| Tasmania | Section 337 certificate from council[7] |
| ACT | Crown lease purpose clause[8] |
| Northern Territory | NT Land Information Search[9] |
Before buying land for a modular home, get the official planning report for the block. Every state and territory publishes one, and it shows the zoning, the overlays and, in several states, past approvals. In NSW this is the section 10.7 planning certificate, which council must issue on application.[1]
Why a modular home needs this check early §
The report answers two questions that decide the whole project. First, whether a dwelling is allowed on the land at all. Second, which approval pathway is likely to be available. In NSW the difference between complying development and a full development application is published as as little as 20 days against an average of 70.[10] Overlays such as bushfire, flood and heritage often decide which pathway applies.
A factory-built home adds checks the planning report does not cover: whether trucks and a crane can reach the block, and whether services can be connected. See delivery, transport and craneage and connecting water, power and wastewater.
New South Wales §
Ask the council for a section 10.7 planning certificate. A 10.7(2) certificate shows the zoning and the planning controls that apply; a 10.7(2) and (5) certificate adds advice from other authorities. The certificate names the planning instruments but not their detailed standards, so those still need to be read.[1]
Victoria §
Download the Planning Property Report for the address. It shows the zone and overlays, whether the property is on the Victorian Heritage Register, whether it is in a designated bushfire prone area and whether it is in an area of Aboriginal cultural heritage sensitivity.[2]
Queensland §
Councils issue planning and development certificates in three levels. A limited certificate summarises the planning provisions; a standard certificate adds copies of existing approvals and related decisions; a full certificate also says whether the conditions of a current approval have been met.[3] A standard or full certificate is useful when the block already has an approval you intend to rely on.
Western Australia §
Landgate's Property Interest Report lists interests that do not appear on the title, such as heritage listing or a nearby contaminated site, with the agency to contact for each. It is designed to be read alongside the Certificate of Title.[4] Development applications are decided by the local government under its own planning scheme, so confirm the zoning and any requirements with the local government as well.[11]
South Australia §
Look up the block in the SA Property and Planning Atlas, which shows its zone under the Planning and Design Code.[5] On a purchase, the vendor's statement (Form 1) must also state the zone, subzone and overlays; it is given once both parties have signed, and an inaccurate Form 1 can affect when cooling-off starts.[6]
Tasmania §
Ask the council for a section 337 certificate, which shows council's records of approvals, orders and notices for the land. A further request for information can give more detailed records, with the owner's consent if you are not yet the owner.[7]
Australian Capital Territory §
Land in the ACT is held on Crown lease, and the lease limits what the land can be used for. Read the purpose clause before buying: land and buildings can only be used for a purpose the lease authorises.[8]
Northern Territory §
The NT Land Information Search shows zoning, overlays and past planning determinations for an address.[9]
What to look for in any report §
- Zone — is a dwelling, or a second dwelling, allowed?
- Overlays — bushfire, flood, heritage and environmental overlays can rule out a fast-track pathway and change the design. See bushfire attack levels and prefab homes and flood-prone land and prefab homes.
- Existing approvals and notices — an earlier approval may help; an outstanding order will not.
- Interests not on the title — in Western Australia especially, the title alone is not the full picture.[4]
What is not covered here §
Fees for each report, restrictive covenants and other matters recorded only on the title, contaminated land assessment, and how to read individual planning scheme provisions are not covered by the sources compiled here. The reports in this guide describe the land; they are not an approval and do not confirm that a particular design will be approved.
Related guides §
- The approval process for a modular home, step by step
- Modular home rules and approvals by state
- Site works — the costs that are not in the base price
- Approval timeframes by state
Sent to info@modularlivingaustralia.com.au and handled by a person. See Privacy.
References §
- City of Parramatta — Planning certificates — a section 10.7 certificate (formerly section 149) gives the information council holds on zoning, state, regional and local planning controls and other property issues such as contamination and road widening; a 10.7(2) certificate covers zoning and controls, and a 10.7(2) and (5) certificate adds advice from other authorities; council must issue the certificate on application under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979; it lists the applicable planning instruments but not their specific development standards. cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/development/development-applications/planning-certificates
- Victorian Department of Transport and Planning — Planning Property Report — a summary of planning information for an address, showing the planning zone, planning overlays, links to the zone and overlay provisions, whether the property is on the Victorian Heritage Register, whether it is in a designated bushfire prone area, and areas of Aboriginal cultural heritage sensitivity; downloadable as a PDF; also available through VicPlan. planning.vic.gov.au/schemes-and-amendments/planning-report
- City of Gold Coast — Planning and development certificates — issued under section 265 of the Planning Act 2016; a limited certificate summarises planning scheme provisions and state instruments affecting the premises; a standard certificate adds copies of existing development approvals, compliance certificates, court decisions and proposed scheme amendments; a full certificate adds whether approval conditions have been fulfilled and any known development offence prosecutions. goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Buying-and-selling-property/Planning-development-certificates
- Landgate (Western Australian Land Information Authority) — Property interests in WA — a Property Interest Report lists unregistered property interests that may affect a property's use, such as heritage listing or proximity to a contaminated site, with the legislation, possible restrictions and the agency to contact; it complements a Certificate of Title because not all interests appear on the title. landgate.wa.gov.au/land-and-property/property-ownership/property-interest-report
- PlanSA (South Australian Government) — Zoning for a property — the South Australian Property and Planning Atlas (SAPPA) shows current zoning across South Australia under the Planning and Design Code; search by address and open the Planning and Design Code layers; the full rules are in the Code. plan.sa.gov.au/development_applications/before_you_lodge/zoning_for_a_property
- Law Handbook SA (Legal Services Commission of South Australia) — The vendor's statement (Form 1) under section 7 of the Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Act 1994 must be given to the purchaser once both parties have signed the contract; it states the zone, subzone and overlays of the land under the Planning and Design Code; a defective Form 1 can affect when the cooling-off period begins. lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch23s08s08.php
- Huon Valley Council (Tasmania) — Check before you build, buy or sell — a section 337 certificate is a land information certificate issued by council under the Local Government Act showing council records of approvals, orders or notices; an additional request for information can give more detailed records, with the owner's consent where the requester is not the owner. huonvalley.tas.gov.au/check-before-you-build-buy-or-sell/
- ACT Planning — Crown leases — leased land and buildings can only be used for a purpose authorised by the lease; a Crown lease sets out the lessee's rights and obligations; development approval is needed if the land use requires a development application. planning.act.gov.au/community/buy/leasing-and-titles/crown-leases
- Northern Territory Government — NT Land Information Search — a web platform showing, for a property address, zoning, planning overlays such as environmental or heritage constraints, strategic frameworks, and current and past planning determinations with permits and documents. environment.nt.gov.au/news/2026/ntlis
- NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure — Complying development — fast-tracked approvals can be issued in as little as 20 days, against an average of 70 days for a development application. Checked 8 October 2026. planning.nsw.gov.au/assess-and-regulate/development-assessment/planning-approval-pathways/complying-development
- Shire of Dardanup (Western Australia) — WA planning system flowchart — development applications are lodged with and decided by the local government under its local planning scheme, within 60 days or 90 days if advertised. dardanup.wa.gov.au/Profiles/dardanup/Assets/ClientData/Documents/Services/WA-Planning-System.pdf
Figures are as published by the sources above at their respective dates and are paraphrased summaries, not verbatim reproductions. Verify current pricing and rules directly with builders, lenders and planning authorities.