The short answer for Casey: the statewide rule decides
A granny flat is a small second dwelling in Victorian planning law, and the City of Casey does not write its own version of the rule. The Casey Planning Scheme carries the statewide Clause 73.03 definition: a building, or part of a building, with a total floor area not exceeding 80 square metres, on the same lot as an existing dwelling and used as a self-contained residence with a kitchen sink, food preparation facilities, a bath or shower, a toilet and a wash basin [1]. The 80 m² figure took effect on 15 October 2026 under Amendment VC306; under VC253, from 14 December 2023, it was 60 m² [2,3]. Total floor area is measured from the outside surface of the external walls (or the centre of a party wall) and does not include attached or abutting decks, verandahs, patios, pergolas, porches or terraces [1].
Council’s own page states the result the same way: a planning permit may not be required where the building meets those criteria, in most residential zones under the Casey Planning Scheme, as long as no overlays apply to the land; a building over 80 m² is not a small second dwelling and needs a planning permit; and land containing a small second dwelling cannot be subdivided to create a separate lot [3]. The rest of this page reads those qualifiers — zone, lot, overlay and title — for an address in Casey, whether in Narre Warren South, Cranbourne North, Clyde North or any other suburb of the municipality.
General and Neighbourhood Residential land: three conditions and one lot size
The Casey Planning Scheme has two schedules to the General Residential Zone (GRZ1 and GRZ2) and two to the Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1 and NRZ2) [4,5,9]. In both zones the table of uses lists a small second dwelling in Section 1 — no permit for the use — on three conditions: no more than one dwelling exists on the lot, it is the only small second dwelling on the lot, and reticulated natural gas is not supplied to it [4,5]. If one of those conditions is not met, the General Residential Zone lists the small second dwelling in Section 3: prohibited, not a permit application [4].
Building it is a separate test. Clauses 32.08-6 and 32.09-6 require a permit to construct or extend a small second dwelling on a lot of less than 300 square metres, assessed against Clause 54, with a VicSmart class where specified Clause 54 standards are met [4,5]. On a lot of 400 m² or more the zone’s minimum garden area applies: 25 per cent of a 400–500 m² lot, 30 per cent above 500 to 650 m² and 35 per cent above 650 m² (Clause 32.08-4) [4]. Read the zone schedule number on the planning property report; a schedule can set its own requirement for some Clause 54 standards [4].
Swipe or scroll across the table to compare every detail. Keyboard users can focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| Site condition | Where it is set | Effect on the pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Lot of 300 m² or more, one existing dwelling, no other small second dwelling, no reticulated gas | Clauses 32.08-2 and 32.08-6 (GRZ); 32.09-2 and 32.09-6 (NRZ) | No zone permit; overlays and the title are still checked |
| Lot under 300 m² | Clauses 32.08-6 and 32.09-6 | Planning permit, assessed against Clause 54; VicSmart class if the specified standards are met |
| Gas supplied, a second small second dwelling, or more than one existing dwelling | Section 1 condition not met | GRZ Section 3: prohibited |
| Lot of 400 m² or more | Clause 32.08-4 | Minimum garden area of 25, 30 or 35 per cent by lot size |
| More than 80 m² total floor area | Clause 73.03 | Not a small second dwelling; a planning permit is needed |
Clyde North and Cranbourne North estates in the Urban Growth Zone
Newer estates can sit in the Urban Growth Zone rather than a residential zone. Where a precinct structure plan applies, Clause 37.07-9 makes a use permit-free if it is in Section 1 of the zone the schedule applies and meets that zone’s Section 1 condition, together with any condition in the schedule or the precinct structure plan; where the schedule’s specific provisions and the applied zone differ, the schedule prevails (Clause 37.07-15) [6].
The Casey scheme has a precinct structure plan schedule for each of the two growth suburbs searchers ask about. Schedule 3 to the Urban Growth Zone is the Clyde North Precinct Structure Plan and Schedule 5 is the Cranbourne North Stage 2 Precinct Structure Plan [7,8]. Both apply Clause 32.08, the General Residential Zone, to all other land in the precinct outside the commercial centres (and, in Clyde North, the Cardinia Creek conservation corridor), for the use and subdivision of land and the construction of buildings and works [7,8]. Neither schedule’s use or buildings-and-works provisions name a small second dwelling; their small-lot exemptions concern one dwelling on lots under 300 m² [7,8]. On residential land in those two precincts, then, the General Residential Zone test above applies.
What typically puts a planning permit back in Casey: the overlays
An overlay is a separate control with its own trigger, and the strictest result wins. The Casey Planning Scheme contains, among others, the Environmental Significance (eight schedules), Vegetation Protection, Significant Landscape (four schedules), Heritage, Design and Development, Land Subject to Inundation, Special Building, Bushfire Management, Public Acquisition, Environmental Audit, Development Contributions Plan and Infrastructure Contributions overlays [9]. The table reads each state clause, as it sits in the Casey scheme on 14 November 2026, against a small second dwelling, with what the Casey schedule adds.
Two Casey schedules are worth reading closely. The schedule to the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay lists works that need no permit, among them a dwelling on a lot of 1,500 m² or less in the General Residential, Residential Growth, Urban Growth (where a precinct structure plan applies) or Township Zone shown on a plan of subdivision registered after 8 February 2007 [11]. It names a dwelling, not a small second dwelling — the overlay clause itself uses the two terms separately [10] — so confirm with council before relying on it. The schedule to the Special Building Overlay specifies no permit exemption at all [13]. The Heritage Overlay schedule lists 181 individual heritage places: four with Narre Warren South addresses, one in Cranbourne North and four in Clyde North [17].
Swipe or scroll across the table to compare every detail. Keyboard users can focus the table and use the arrow keys.
| Overlay | Clause | Effect on a small second dwelling | What the Casey scheme adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSIO — Land Subject to Inundation | 44.04 | Permit for buildings and works, including a fence or a deck to a small second dwelling, unless the schedule states otherwise [10] | Schedule exemption for a dwelling on a lot of 1,500 m² or less registered after 8 February 2007; it does not name a small second dwelling [11] |
| SBO — Special Building | 44.05 | Permit for buildings and works; the clause lists only narrow exemptions [12] | Schedule: permit requirement “None specified” [13] |
| BMO — Bushfire Management | 44.06 | Permit for buildings and works associated with Accommodation, which includes a small second dwelling [14,1] | Council: land at high bushfire hazard in Casey was added to the BMO in 2017 [15] |
| HO — Heritage | 43.01 | No permit for a small second dwelling of no more than 5 m in height finished in muted tones and colours (43.01-3) [16] | 181 listed places; the schedule switches tree, paint and fence controls on or off place by place [17] |
| DDO — Design and Development | 43.02 | No permit for a small second dwelling of no more than 5 m in muted tones; otherwise per the schedule (43.02-2) [18] | Two schedules, DDO1 and DDO2 [9] |
| ESO — Environmental Significance | 42.01 | Permit for buildings and works unless the schedule states one is not required [19] | Eight schedules: read the one on the lot [9] |
| SLO — Significant Landscape | 42.03 | Permit unless the schedule exempts; a small second dwelling is a VicSmart class (Clause 59.05) [20] | Four schedules [9] |
| VPO — Vegetation Protection | 42.02 | No building trigger; permit to remove, destroy or lop vegetation listed in the schedule [21] | Two schedules [9] |
| PAO — Public Acquisition | 45.01 | Permit to use the land and to construct any building or works, a deck included [22] | Read the acquiring authority in the schedule [9] |
| EAO — Environmental Audit | 45.03 | Not a permit: a preliminary risk screen or environmental audit before a residential use or its buildings and works start [23] | — |
| DCPO / ICO — contributions | 45.06 / 45.11 | No permit trigger of their own; they govern permits other provisions already require [24,25] | Several schedules in the Casey scheme [9] |
What the planning map does not show: covenants and Section 173 agreements
Title restrictions sit outside the planning scheme. Planning Victoria’s small second homes guidance says overlays and title restrictions can still apply where the zone needs no permit [26]. A registered restrictive covenant is a restriction on the title within the meaning of the Subdivision Act 1988, and where a planning permit is needed, section 61(4) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires council to refuse a permit that would authorise a breach of it unless a permit to remove or vary the covenant has been issued or decided first [27].
A Section 173 agreement is a contract between council and another party under the same Act, recorded on the land title [28]. Once it is recorded, the burden of its covenants runs with the land and council can enforce it against later owners (section 182) [27]; Casey takes applications to amend or end one [28]. Neither instrument appears on VicPlan, so the certificate of title and the registered plan of subdivision are read alongside the planning property report before a design is fixed.
How to check a Casey address before you design
Five documents answer the planning question for a specific lot, and council invites a planning enquiry where the answer is unclear [3].
- —The Planning Property Report, generated from VicPlan and the report Casey’s own planning page points to: zone and overlay maps, links to the provisions in the Casey Planning Scheme, and whether the land is in a designated bushfire prone area [29,30].
- —Each overlay schedule in the Casey Planning Scheme — the schedule switches the state trigger off, keeps it or sharpens it [9].
- —The measured design: total floor area to the outside of the external walls, attached decks and verandahs excluded, no more than 80 m² [1].
- —The certificate of title and plan of subdivision, for restrictive covenants and Section 173 agreements [27,28].
- —For land prone to flooding, a flooding application to council may be needed before the building permit; the building surveyor advises whether an exemption applies [31].
The building permit, and where DollarBuild’s plans sit
A planning exemption is not a building approval. A building permit is always required for a small second dwelling, and the registered building surveyor confirms the building pathway for the design before it is fixed [26]. Our guide to the Victorian rule and the VC306 comparison cover the statewide provisions in more depth, and the overlay table reads every Victorian overlay clause by clause.
Compact 34 and Home 60 sit inside the 80 m² planning figure. Home 80 is drawn at 78.39 m², so it uses the same pathway only if its measured total floor area is 80 m² or less; the garage variant’s drawing totals 102.58 m² and is never presented as permit-free. Which pathway a particular Casey lot is on is stated in writing after its title and planning property report have been read.
Questions people ask
Do I need a planning permit for a granny flat in Narre Warren South?
Not usually, if the lot qualifies. Narre Warren South is in the City of Casey, so the statewide small second dwelling rule in the Casey Planning Scheme applies: up to 80 m² total floor area, one existing dwelling, the only small second dwelling, no reticulated gas, and a lot of 300 m² or more in the General or Neighbourhood Residential Zone. An overlay such as the LSIO, SBO or BMO, or a covenant on the title, can still require a permit or stop it.
Is a granny flat in Clyde North or Cranbourne North treated differently?
Only through the zone map. Land in the Clyde North Precinct Structure Plan (Urban Growth Zone Schedule 3) and the Cranbourne North Stage 2 Precinct Structure Plan (Schedule 5) has the General Residential Zone applied to its residential land, so the same three use conditions and the 300 m² construction trigger apply. Neither schedule’s use or buildings-and-works provisions add a condition for a small second dwelling. Overlays and title restrictions are checked the same way.
What is the largest granny flat I can build in Casey without a planning permit?
80 square metres of total floor area since Amendment VC306 came into operation on 15 October 2026; it was 60 m² before. It is measured from the outside surface of the external walls, or the centre of a party wall, and attached decks, verandahs, pergolas, porches, patios and terraces are not counted. A larger building is not a small second dwelling and needs a planning permit.
Which overlays require a planning permit for a granny flat in Casey?
The flood overlays (LSIO and SBO), the Bushfire Management Overlay, and the Environmental Significance and Significant Landscape overlays unless their schedule says otherwise. The Heritage and Design and Development overlays exempt a small second dwelling no more than 5 metres high in muted tones. The Vegetation Protection Overlay controls listed trees, not the building. The planning property report lists every overlay on the lot.
Can a restrictive covenant stop a granny flat in Casey?
It can. A registered restrictive covenant and a Section 173 agreement sit on the title, not on the planning map, and the small second dwelling provisions do not remove them. Where a permit is required, section 61(4) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires council to refuse a permit that would authorise a breach of a registered restrictive covenant unless the covenant is first removed or varied.
Can a granny flat in Casey be subdivided onto its own title?
No. The City of Casey states that subdivision cannot be granted to create a separate lot for land containing a small second dwelling. A small second dwelling stays on the same lot as the existing dwelling, which is part of how Clause 73.03 defines it, so plan it as part of the existing property.
Do I still need a building permit if no planning permit is needed?
Yes. Planning and building are separate approvals: a building permit is always required for a small second dwelling, and the registered building surveyor confirms the building pathway for the design. On land prone to flooding, a flooding application to the City of Casey may also be needed before the building permit is issued; the building surveyor advises whether an exemption applies.
References
- 1.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 73.03 Land use terms (small second dwelling: total floor area not exceeding 80 m²; how it is measured) — scheme at Amendment C311case (12 November 2026); checked 14 November 2026
- 2.Amendment VC306 — explanatory report (60 to 80 m²; Clause 54.03-5 deleted) — checked 21 October 2026
- 3.City of Casey — Small second dwelling (granny flat/dependent persons unit) — council guidance; checked 14 November 2026
- 4.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 32.08 General Residential Zone (32.08-2 table of uses, 32.08-4 garden area, 32.08-6 lots under 300 m²) — checked 14 November 2026
- 5.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 32.09 Neighbourhood Residential Zone (32.09-2, 32.09-6) — checked 14 November 2026
- 6.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 37.07 Urban Growth Zone (37.07-9 applied zone uses, 37.07-11, 37.07-15) — checked 14 November 2026
- 7.Casey Planning Scheme — Schedule 3 to Clause 37.07, Clyde North Precinct Structure Plan (applied General Residential Zone) — checked 14 November 2026
- 8.Casey Planning Scheme — Schedule 5 to Clause 37.07, Cranbourne North Stage 2 Precinct Structure Plan (applied General Residential Zone) — checked 14 November 2026
- 9.Casey Planning Scheme — ordinance index (zones, overlays and their schedules) — index read through the planning API at Amendment C311case; checked 14 November 2026
- 10.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 44.04 Land Subject to Inundation Overlay (44.04-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 11.Casey Planning Scheme — Schedule to Clause 44.04 (works that need no permit) — checked 14 November 2026
- 12.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 44.05 Special Building Overlay (44.05-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 13.Casey Planning Scheme — Schedule to Clause 44.05 (permit requirement: none specified) — checked 14 November 2026
- 14.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 44.06 Bushfire Management Overlay (44.06-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 15.City of Casey — Bushfire Management Overlay — council page; checked 14 November 2026
- 16.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay (43.01-1, 43.01-3) — checked 14 November 2026
- 17.Casey Planning Scheme — Schedule to Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay (heritage places, as amended by C306case) — schedule dated 12 November 2026; checked 14 November 2026
- 18.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 43.02 Design and Development Overlay (43.02-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 19.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 42.01 Environmental Significance Overlay (42.01-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 20.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 42.03 Significant Landscape Overlay (42.03-2, small second dwelling VicSmart class) — checked 14 November 2026
- 21.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 42.02 Vegetation Protection Overlay (42.02-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 22.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 45.01 Public Acquisition Overlay (45.01-1) — checked 14 November 2026
- 23.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 45.03 Environmental Audit Overlay (45.03-1) — checked 14 November 2026
- 24.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 45.06 Development Contributions Plan Overlay (45.06-1) — checked 14 November 2026
- 25.Casey Planning Scheme — Clause 45.11 Infrastructure Contributions Overlay (45.11-2) — checked 14 November 2026
- 26.Planning Victoria — Small second homes guidance (overlays and title restrictions; building permit always required) — checked 17 October 2026 (the site blocks automated fetchers — open in a browser)
- 27.Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic), authorised version 168 — s 3(1) registered restrictive covenant, s 61(4), s 182 — in force from 28 October 2026; checked 14 November 2026
- 28.City of Casey — Section 173 Agreements — council page; checked 14 November 2026
- 29.City of Casey — What zone is my property in? (planning property report) — council page; checked 14 November 2026
- 30.VicPlan — Victorian planning map and Planning Property Report — checked 14 November 2026
- 31.City of Casey — Apply for a flooding application (before a building permit) — council page; checked 14 November 2026
