A secondary dwelling (commonly called a granny flat) is a self-contained dwelling established in conjunction with a principal dwelling on the same lot. It may be within, attached to or separate from the principal dwelling. Its legal classification depends on the approved use and documents, not a marketing label or construction method.
This guide combines limited Combaning statistical context with statewide planning and consumer-protection guidance. It does not establish the planning controls or development potential of an individual property. Those matters require the legal parcel, current planning instruments, title information and proposal to be checked.
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Local granny-flat overview
Combaning is identified by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as Suburbs and Localities code SAL10989. SAL means the ABS Suburbs and Localities geography. SAL boundaries are statistical approximations of commonly recognised localities; they are not cadastral boundaries and must not be confused with Statistical Area Level 1 or SA1 geography.
The canonical locality record gives the Combaning SAL an area of 171.8468 square kilometres and nine mesh blocks. Its recorded area overlaps one ABS statistical local government area, named Temora. “Temora” in that record is an ABS LGA geography, while Temora Shire Council is the formal council organisation identified in the verified locality source material. This overlap is useful for directing initial research, but it cannot establish council responsibility for a legal parcel. Confirm the authority from the property address and lot and deposited-plan details before relying on council material.
The 2021 Census Combaning QuickStats recorded 100 people and 37 private dwellings. These are historical figures from the 2021 Census within the statistical SAL boundary, not current population or housing data. The small counts and statistical boundary also make broad claims about present-day demand, household profiles or the property market unsafe. The figures are useful only as limited locality context; they do not describe the ownership, condition, size or approval status of individual dwellings.
The few verified locality facts above do not reveal zoning, lot configuration, lawful development, service availability or site constraints. They also do not show whether a parcel has an existing lawful principal dwelling, which is fundamental to classifying a proposed secondary dwelling. Begin an address-level investigation with the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer, but cross-check its mapping against the current legal instruments and formal property records.
Under the NSW secondary-dwelling guidance, a secondary dwelling must be associated with a principal dwelling and remain on the same lot. This planning pathway does not create a separately subdividable or independently saleable residence. An existing shed, garage or studio cannot be treated as approved residential accommodation without checking its approval history and lawful use.
State guidance says secondary dwellings are permitted in residential zones R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 and may be permitted in other zones where the applicable local environmental plan allows them. Permissibility is not approval. Rural and non-residential land requires particular care because local environmental plan provisions may differ from residential-zone rules.
Council rules and approval pathway
A secondary dwelling may be assessed through a development application or, where every requirement is satisfied, as complying development. A development application is assessed by the verified consent authority. A complying development certificate may be issued by council or an appropriately registered certifier, but the certifier cannot waive legislation, development standards, mapped exclusions or approval prerequisites.
For the Housing SEPP complying-development pathway, NSW guidance identifies a minimum lot area of 450 square metres, except where the secondary dwelling is located entirely within an existing dwelling house. This is one bounded eligibility test only. It is not a universal minimum for a development application and is not sufficient by itself to establish complying-development eligibility.
The proposal must be tested against current Schedule 1 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, relevant provisions of the Codes SEPP 2008, applicable mapping and the standards for the property and proposal. The Department’s complying-development guidance explains that this is a standards-based approval pathway subject to conditions.
The verified locality material identifies Temora Shire Council as the likely consent authority. Council’s planning reference material identifies the Temora Local Environmental Plan 2010 and Temora Shire Development Control Plan 2012 as local planning references. Their applicability must be confirmed for the legal parcel. Council responsibility must not be inferred solely from the SAL–LGA overlap, and a parcel may also be affected by state or site-specific instruments.
Once the authority is verified, check the current local environmental plan, development control plan, application requirements, contribution plans, fee schedule, waste arrangements, stormwater policy, driveway or vehicle-crossing requirements and water or wastewater authority requirements. Temora Shire Council’s development application page directs applicants to the NSW Planning Portal for DA lodgement. That lodgement method does not determine whether a DA is the correct pathway, whether the application is complete or whether consent will be granted. Confirm the required documents and process for the particular proposal before lodging. For rural or non-residential land, obtain confirmation of the applicable local provisions instead of applying residential-zone assumptions.
Before choosing a pathway, obtain the title and deposited plan and investigate easements, covenants, restrictions, legal access, drainage, sewer or wastewater infrastructure and utility locations. Planning approval does not necessarily override private title restrictions. Use official mapping and property records to identify any relevant heritage, bushfire, flooding, biodiversity, contamination or other constraint; no such constraint has been verified here for every Combaning property.
Confirm whether existing buildings were lawfully approved for their present use and compare available approval records with a current survey. Where records are incomplete or the site differs from approved plans, obtain advice from the council, certifier and relevant building professionals before basing a design or quotation on those structures.
The Housing SEPP does not itself require additional parking for a secondary dwelling. Existing consent conditions, the loss of established parking, driveway safety, manoeuvring and applicable local controls may nevertheless require assessment.
After approval, the work may require construction certification, a principal certifier, inspections and evidence that approval conditions have been met. Service NSW explains the role of an occupation certificate, which is required before a new building is occupied or used, or an existing building is used following an approved change of use.
Costs and budgeting
There is insufficient verified evidence for a reliable Combaning construction-price estimate. Build the budget from the investigated site, approved design and documented scope rather than an advertised package price. Access, ground conditions, service distances, approval requirements, external works and conversion complexity can materially change the total.
Use separate budget categories for:
- title, survey, planning and service investigations;
- design, engineering and specialist reports;
- application, portal and certifier charges;
- council contributions and authority fees where applicable;
- demolition, excavation, retaining and site preparation;
- building work, fixtures, finishes and BASIX commitments;
- stormwater, wastewater, water, electricity and communications;
- paths, driveways, fencing, landscaping and waste removal;
- certificates, inspections, insurance and finance expenses; and
- unresolved site risks and approved variations.
Ask council, the certifier and service authorities for their current charges using the actual proposal details. A published fee may depend on development value, application type or required referrals, so it should not be inserted into the budget without confirming scope.
Obtain itemised, like-for-like quotations based on the same drawings, reports and specification. Require each tenderer to identify exclusions, provisional sums, service allowances, authority charges, approval responsibilities, site assumptions and external works. For conversion proposals, allow for investigation of lawful use, structural capacity, waterproofing, fire safety, insulation, ventilation and services.
Check when each quoted amount becomes payable and what evidence supports the payment stage. Separate pre-construction investigations, statutory charges, contract payments and owner-supplied items so that omitted work is visible. Confirm whether design revisions or approval conditions would require a revised quotation before committing to construction.
Maintain a cost schedule that distinguishes fixed quotations from allowances and unresolved items. Reconcile that schedule with the building contract before signing and whenever the approved design changes.
Design and site considerations
Start with an accurate survey showing boundaries, levels, existing buildings, access, significant trees, easements and available service information. Confirm whether the proposal is wholly within, attached to or separate from the principal dwelling, and whether it includes conversion of an existing structure. That choice affects classification, documentation, servicing and the relevant BASIX secondary-dwelling project type.
Test the layout against the day-to-day relationship between both dwellings. Consider:
- private and safe access to each entrance;
- visual and acoustic privacy;
- daylight, ventilation and orientation;
- usable outdoor space and clothes drying;
- bins, deliveries and maintenance access;
- parking and vehicle movements; and
- practical routes for water, wastewater, power and communications.
Check floor area, setbacks, building height, landscaped area, site coverage and earthworks against the exact approval pathway and current instruments. A standard copied from another council, another development type or superseded guidance may be inapplicable. Prefabricated, modular or relocatable construction remains subject to the relevant planning, building, certification and occupation requirements.
Review how the proposal affects the principal dwelling as well as the new accommodation. A route for services, construction access or private entry may interfere with windows, outdoor areas, established drainage or vehicle access. Document those interactions on the site plan so consultants, the approval authority and tenderers assess the same arrangement.
Resolve stormwater and wastewater arrangements before fixing the building footprint. Confirm the lawful discharge point, infrastructure capacity, authority approvals and whether easements or private rights affect the proposed connection. Locate utilities before excavation and coordinate structural, civil and service design.
Use official property mapping to determine whether specialist assessment is needed. Discuss flood, bushfire, heritage, biodiversity, contamination, trees or other constraints only after confirming their relevance to the parcel. If a mapped or property-specific issue applies, incorporate the required professional advice into the concept before seeking final quotations.
The NSW Planning Portal BASIX guidance explains that BASIX addresses water, energy use and thermal performance for applicable residential development. Integrate its commitments into orientation, glazing, shading, insulation, ventilation, fixtures and building services. Approved commitments should be consistent across the certificate, drawings, specification, contract and completed work.
For an existing outbuilding, obtain approval records and professional assessments before designing a conversion. Physical size, utility connections or apparent structural condition do not establish that residential use is lawful or technically suitable.
Rental and investment considerations
Consider rental use only after confirming lawful approval, completion against the approved documents and the required occupation certification. A builder’s completion statement, utility connection or advertising description is not a substitute for the statutory records.
A secondary dwelling remains associated with the principal dwelling on the same lot. Owners should therefore consider how shared title, access, services and insurance affect both premises. Establish clear arrangements for paths, gardens, driveways, bins, repairs and access to shared infrastructure. If utilities are not separately metered, obtain advice on lawful charging and document how occupants’ contributions will be calculated.
Where the approved premises are rented under a residential tenancy, use the current NSW Fair Trading guidance on residential tenancy agreements. It covers the standard agreement and landlord and tenant obligations. The governing legislation is the Residential Tenancies Act 2010. Check current requirements for bonds, condition reports, disclosures, repairs, safety obligations and notices before offering the dwelling for rent.
Family occupation, boarding, licensing, short-term accommodation and a standard residential tenancy are not necessarily regulated in the same way. Match the intended arrangement to current planning, tenancy, insurance and legal requirements.
The 2021 Census figures do not establish current rental demand or achievable rent in Combaning. If rental use forms part of feasibility, obtain recent evidence for lawfully approved, genuinely comparable premises and distinguish advertised asking prices from completed tenancy evidence. Record why each comparison is relevant, including its location, accommodation, condition, access and utility arrangement. Have the proposed occupancy and property configuration reviewed by the lender and insurer. Seek qualified tax, legal and financial advice based on the owner’s circumstances rather than relying on a generic return calculation.
Choosing a granny-flat builder
Identify the legal entity that will enter the building contract, then use the official Service NSW tool to check the builder or tradesperson licence. Confirm that the licence is current, the category covers the work, and the entity and licence number match the proposed contract. An ABN, industry membership or online review is not a substitute for this check.
Ask for recent references involving comparable secondary dwellings, access conditions, service work and construction methods. With the owner’s permission, inspect completed work and ask about communication, site costs, variations, defects, handover records and post-completion service.
Give each tenderer the same drawings, reports and requested scope. Compare:
- specifications, inclusions and exclusions;
- fixed prices, allowances and provisional sums;
- excavation, retaining and access assumptions;
- service connections and stormwater responsibilities;
- approvals, certification and inspections;
- BASIX products and performance commitments;
- external works and waste removal;
- variation and extension-of-time procedures;
- defect rectification and handover documents; and
- statutory and contractual warranty information.
The current Building Commission NSW contract guidance requires a written contract for residential building work costing more than $5,000 and the more extensive large-job contract for work costing more than $20,000. It also limits the deposit to 10%. Read the current Consumer Building Guide, verify statutory warranty information, check the applicable cooling-off information and ensure progress-payment stages correspond to completed work.
Home building compensation cover applies to relevant residential building work valued at $20,000 or more, including GST. Before paying money or allowing work to start, use the official HBC Check to verify the certificate where cover is required. Match the insured builder, property and work to the contract rather than accepting an application receipt or unrelated policy.
Record approved variations in writing, including changes to price, scope and time allowances. At handover, collect approvals, inspection records, certificates, warranties, product information and maintenance instructions needed for occupation and future repairs.
Planning and feasibility checklist
- Confirm the address, lot and deposited plan.
- Verify the council for the legal parcel.
- Confirm the lawful principal dwelling and existing approvals.
- Check zoning and current statutory mapping.
- Review the applicable LEP, DCP and state instruments.
- Obtain the title, survey and service records.
- Investigate easements, restrictions, access and drainage.
- Define the internal, attached, detached or conversion proposal.
- Test both available approval pathways.
- Confirm applicable design and BASIX requirements.
- Obtain current authority fees and application requirements.
- Compare itemised quotations on one documented scope.
- Verify licences, contract terms, warranties and HBC cover.
- Obtain approval before starting work.
- Complete required inspections and certification.
- Obtain the occupation certificate before occupation.
- Use current Fair Trading documents if renting.