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New South Wales regulation
The Standard Instrument—Principal Local Environmental Plan (known as the "Standard Instrument LEP") is a NSW Government template that sets the ground rules for land use planning across all local council areas in New South Wales.
Think of it as a master blueprint that every NSW council must use as the foundation for their own local planning rules. It defines what types of activities and buildings are allowed in different land use zones (categories of land, like residential, industrial, commercial, or conservation areas).
This law touches virtually everyone in NSW:
The instrument creates a standardised system of land use zones — labelled codes like R1 (general residential), E1/C1 (national parks and nature reserves), B2/MU1 (local commercial centres), IN1 (general industrial), and so on. Each zone specifies:
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Direct links to the current provisions in Standard Instrument—Principal Local Environmental Plan.
Zoe has indexed the source text for search and analysis. Use the official register for the original document and download formats.
View on official registerSourced from legislation.nsw.gov.au, CC BY 4.0.
This standardisation means that similar zones work the same way across different council areas, making planning more predictable and consistent.
This instrument has been amended dozens of times since 2006. Some major shifts include:
If you want to build a house extension, open a shop, run a farm stay, or develop land in NSW — this instrument (as adopted by your local council) determines whether you can do it, and on what terms. Getting it wrong can mean costly refusals or legal action.