Glossary
Overlay
By Struqt’s architects · Updated June 2026
A planning layer that adds extra rules on top of the base zone — for example heritage, flood, bushfire, or character preservation. Overlays often add cost, time, or specialist consultants to a project.
Source: NSW Planning Portal
What it means for what you can build
An overlay sits on top of your base zone and adds its own rules — so two identical blocks can have very different development potential if one carries a heritage, flood or bushfire overlay.
Related terms
See this on your own property
Run any Australian address through Struqt to see whether overlay applies to your block — and what it means for what you can build.