Shellharbour Council is seeking to amend the Shellharbour LEP to allow mobile tiny homes to be installed as exempt development across the entire LGA under a two-year pilot program.  

The planning proposal would permit one moveable tiny home to be installed on residential lots that already contain an existing dwelling house, effectively enabling a secondary dwelling without the need for a DA.  

The proposal applies LGA-wide and is designed to provide a rapid housing supply mechanism by allowing mobile tiny homes to be installed on existing serviced residential land.  

Under the proposed provisions, the structures must remain on wheels and be capable of registration under the road transport legislation. Maximum dimensions would be limited to around 12.5 metres in length, 2.5 metres in width and 4.3 metres in height. So that means the dwelling would be limited to 31.25 sqm, which is a self-contained unit.  

Tiny homes must connect to existing sewer, water and stormwater, and be located behind the primary dwelling on the lot. A minimum 1.8 metre separation from the main house would be required.  

The proposal excludes installation on flood-prone land, bushfire-prone land, environmentally sensitive land and properties containing heritage items.  

These rules would operate for a two-year period before ongoing use would require development consent.