Find out about a home business, home occupation and industry cottage, including when planning approval, a building permit and health approval are required.
Please note: If your proposed home business is food-related, please refer to Home Food Business.
The Shire may allow low-impact occupations or businesses to be conducted from a residential property. However, the type of business must satisfy certain criteria to ensure that there is no disturbance or nuisance created that is inconsistent with the character of the area.
Activities which may be permitted in a residential area generally fall into the following four land use categories defined in Local Planning Scheme No.1.
A ‘Home Office’ is defined as a home occupation limited to a business carried out solely within a dwelling by a resident of the dwelling.
A home office does not:
The home office use is interpreted as entailing office/administrative activities only. Any other use will be considered a home occupation, home business or cottage industry.
A ‘Home Occupation’ is defined as an occupation carried out in a dwelling or on land around a dwelling, by a resident of the dwelling.
A home occupation does not:
A ‘Home Business’ is defined as a business, service or profession carried out in a dwelling or on land around a dwelling by an occupier of the dwelling.
A home business does not:
‘Industry Cottage’ means premises (other than premises used for a home occupation), that are used by the occupier of the premises for the purpose of carrying out a trade or light industry, producing arts and crafts goods.
The Industry Cottage use may be carried out from an outbuilding that blends with the character of the area and does not detract from the area.
An industry cottage does not:
Planning approval: A ‘home office’ is exempt from planning approval if it is to take place within an existing, approved residence.
Building permit: May be required if you are making structural changes to a property.
Planning approval: A ‘home occupation’ is exempt from planning approval in all zones. Planning approval is required for a ‘home business’.
Building permit: May be required if you are making structural changes to a property.
Health approval: May be required, depending on the type of business proposed. For example, a business that involves beauty or skin penetration.
Planning approval: Is required, as it is listed as a discretionary land use in the majority of the zones in which it can be considered. Depending on the scale, noise, dust, fumes etc, work that could potentially disturb neighbouring properties may not be permitted, as such uses would be considered more appropriate in an industrial area.
Building permit: May be required if you are making structural changes to a property.
Health approval: May be required, depending on the type of business proposed. For example, a business that produces a lot of dust, noise or fumes.
Important note: The first step is to contact the Shire’s Planning Team to discuss your proposal. The Planning Team may then direct you to the Building Team and Environmental Health Team as required. This is especially important as applications that do not comply with the relevant standards or contain insufficient information may be refused or take longer to process. Contact the Planning Team on (08) 9780 5220 or email [email protected]
The following pages provide detailed information on how to:
