MBRC Planning Scheme - Rural zone

Up to 50 percent of the region’s land can be found in the Rural zone, which is characterised by productive farm land, scattered housing and natural areas. The Rural zone is generally located outside existing urban areas and comprises land with widely varying lot sizes. The State Government’s South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 imposes restrictions on development in the Rural zone, limiting subdivision to minimum lot sizes of 100 hectares.

What is the purpose of this zone?

• Provides a range of rural uses.
• Provides limited non-rural uses that are compatible with agriculture, the environment, and the landscape character of the rural area. Non-rural uses must not compromise the long-term use of the land for rural purposes.
• Protects and manages significant natural features and resources, and the capacity of land for continued primary production.
• Ensures rural areas remain a pleasant place for people to work, live and recreate.
• Restricts further encroachment of urban and rural residential activities.
• Reinforces the region’s identified urban footprint.

Example of Rural zone mapping 

Rural zone

Rural zone precincts

Some areas within the Rural zone may be included in one of five precincts. Zone precincts provide greater clarity about the types of development intended in a particular location. These precincts are:

1. Hamlet precinct – existing and isolated residential areas at Mt Mee, Mt Glorious and Mt Nebo.
2. Agriculture precinct – land suitable for productive agriculture and strategic cropping.
3. Cedarton forester's cooperative and Mt Nebo plant nursery precinct – existing buildings and structures on a single lot at Cedarton and Mt Nebo. Development is supported by a land management plan.
4. Woodfordia and Abbey surrounds precinct – supports uses associated with festivals and events occurring on land in proximity to the Community facilities zone.
5. Rural living investigation precinct – land requiring further investigation for possible future rural living purposes.

What can I expect to see in this zone?

Possible uses in the Rural zone include:

• one single dwelling house per allotment
• a wide range of rural uses occurring on large rural properties such as, cropping, forestry, intensive horticulture, animal husbandry, wholesale nursery and winery
• intensive rural activities such as animal keeping, aquaculture, and intensive animal industry
• home based businesses
• outdoor recreational opportunities
• roadside stall, rural industry, veterinary services and transport depot
• short-term accommodation for tourists in proximity to tourist attractions
• rural workers accommodation on or in proximity to rural activities
• rural uses are protected from intrusion from incompatible development
• development maintains a low density, low intensity and dispersed built form character and amenity
• development avoids areas subject to physical constraint, limitation, or valuable natural value or resource
• provisions about building height, building setback, lighting, hazardous chemicals and other matters help maintain the character and amenity of the rural environment and reduce possible nuisance and adverse impacts on neighbouring properties.

More information

Assessment benchmarks (requirements) for development (material change of use) in the Rural zone can be found in Part 6, section 6.2.10 Rural zone code. 

Refer to Part 5 of the planning scheme to determine the category of development and assessment (type of application required, if any) for development in the Rural zone. Section 5.5.10 Rural zone Table of assessment identifies the category of development and assessment for a material change of use. Assessment benchmarks for reconfiguring a lot in the Rural zone can be found in Part 9, section 9.4.1.10 Reconfiguring a lot code, Rural zone.