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Duplexes and dual occupancy · Shoalhaven
Duplex Builders in Nowra
Two homes on one lot, planned around the lot size, the approval pathway and the title you want, by the team that built the Huskisson Duplex on Jervis Bay.
Book a free discovery call
Takes 30 seconds. Keiron Moore, the builder, does the site assessment himself.
- Built in Huskisson: the CKS Projects duplex on Jervis Bay
- NSW Contractor Licence 258735C (CKS Projects)
- 2026 MBA NSW award winner (Wombarra Clifftops)
Pictured: the Huskisson Duplex in Huskisson, NSW, built by CKS Projects.
What is a duplex?
Duplexes in the Shoalhaven, in Brief
A duplex is two homes on one lot, usually sharing a wall, each with its own entry, living areas and outdoor space. In NSW planning terms it is a dual occupancy, and each home can later sit on its own title if the lot is subdivided.
The Huskisson Duplex shows what is possible on a Shoalhaven bushland block: two architecturally distinctive homes instead of one old cottage.
| Builder | CKS Projects, trading as Nowra Builders. NSW Contractor Licence 258735C |
|---|---|
| Shoalhaven example | Huskisson Duplex, designed by Duplex Building Design, built by CKS Projects |
| We manage | Feasibility and site analysis, design, CDC or DA, subdivision planning, construction and fit-out |
| Title | Torrens title or strata, decided before design |
| Typical timeframe | Around 9–14 months from design to completion |
| Suits | Investors, multi-generational families and first-time developers |
Our Shoalhaven duplex
The Huskisson Duplex
Set in native bushland on Jervis Bay, the Huskisson Duplex sets aside the white-weatherboard coastal look for something bolder: charred Shou Sugi Ban timber cladding whose dark tone sits quietly among the eucalypts.
Inside are polished concrete floors, black detailing, large glazing to the landscape and a suspended black metal fireplace. CKS Projects also built the pool and landscaping, carrying the design out to the boundary.
Designed by Duplex Building Design. Built by CKS Projects. See the full project.
How it runs
How a Duplex Project Runs
Feasibility first: whether the lot can take two homes, and on what title, decides everything after it.
Keiron walks the block
Slope, access, soil, aspect, existing services, and the overlays on the lot, from bushfire and flood mapping to coastal controls, all of which shape the approval pathway with Shoalhaven City Council.
Design
A design for your land and the way you live, with 3D renderings and a virtual walk-through so the layout is checked before anything is built.
Documents and fixed price
Working drawings, engineering, BASIX and any bushfire report prepared together, then a detailed fixed-price tender before a contract is signed.
Approval
A complying development certificate from a certifier or council where the site qualifies, or a development application to Shoalhaven City Council, managed through to determination.
Build and handover
Built by the CKS Projects team and its trades, with regular site meetings and an online client portal showing the schedule and the latest site photos.
Approvals and title
What a Shoalhaven Duplex Needs to Get Approved
NSW and council rules · confirm for your lot
- R2 zone: since 1 July 2024, dual occupancies are permitted in the R2 Low Density Residential zone across NSW.
- Lot size: Shoalhaven City Council says detached dual occupancies are subject to minimum lot sizes in its residential zones.
- Complying development: the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code allows dual occupancies of up to two storeys to be approved in as little as 20 days where every standard is met.
- Development application: otherwise a DA to Shoalhaven City Council under the Shoalhaven LEP 2014, which is common on bushfire prone or flood affected lots.
- BASIX: each home needs to meet BASIX standards.
Sources: NSW Planning, low and mid-rise housing · Shoalhaven City Council, dual occupancy · NSW Planning, complying development · NSW Planning Portal, BASIX · Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014.
Inside the duplex
Huskisson Duplex Interiors
Monochrome, concrete and timber, finished by the CKS Projects team.
Huskisson Duplex
A black island kitchen and dining area with a suspended black fireplace, polished concrete floors and glazing to the pool.
See Huskisson Duplex on cksprojects.com.auWhere these homes are. The Huskisson Duplex is on Jervis Bay, in the Shoalhaven. The other homes shown here were built by CKS Projects in the Illawarra, and every photo keeps its real location. We only show work CKS Projects has published.
Who builds your duplex
The Builder Behind Nowra Builders
Nowra Builders is the business name CKS Projects uses for its work in the Shoalhaven. CKS Projects is a boutique residential builder from Unanderra, Wollongong, and it built the Huskisson Duplex on Jervis Bay. It doesn't sell catalogue plans: each home is designed for its block.
Managing Director Keiron Moore has more than 25 years in residential building and does the site assessments himself, so the person who looks at your block is the person accountable for the build. Design, approval and construction sit under one fixed-price contract.
Read more about Nowra Builders and Keiron Moore, or check the licence on the NSW licence register.
| Business | Nowra Builders, a registered business name of CKS Projects Aust Pty Ltd |
|---|---|
| Builder | CKS Projects. Managing Director Keiron Moore, 25+ years in residential building. NSW Qualified Supervisor Certificate 69005S |
| NSW Contractor Licence | 258735C (Builder) |
| Award | Winner, Contract Homes $1.9M–$2M, 2026 MBA NSW Southern Regions Excellence in Building Awards (Wombarra Clifftops) |
| Memberships | Master Builders Association of NSW · Association of Professional Builders |
| Office | Unit 45/7 Waynote Place, Unanderra NSW 2526 Mon–Fri 8:00am–4:30pm, by appointment |
| Service area | Nowra-Bomaderry and the northern Shoalhaven, from Berry to Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin |
| Phone | 02 4271 5132 |
Where we build
Duplexes Across the Shoalhaven
Nowra Builders takes on work across the northern Shoalhaven, from Berry and Shoalhaven Heads through Nowra-Bomaderry to Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin. Our office is CKS Projects' office in Unanderra, and Keiron Moore comes to your block for the site assessment. See how the councils and conditions change from suburb to suburb on the service areas page.
Shoalhaven City Council
- Nowra
- North Nowra
- South Nowra
- West Nowra
- Worrigee
- Bomaderry
- Cambewarra
- Berry
- Shoalhaven Heads
- Culburra Beach
- Greenwell Point
- Callala Bay
- Callala Beach
- Huskisson
- Vincentia
- Woollamia
- Sanctuary Point
- St Georges Basin
- Basin View
- Erowal Bay
Common questions
Duplex FAQs
Duplex or dual occupancy: what is the difference?
A duplex is two homes built as one attached building, usually sharing a wall. Dual occupancy is the NSW planning category for two dwellings on one lot, attached or detached. A duplex is a kind of dual occupancy, and each home can later have its own title if the lot is subdivided.
Can my Shoalhaven lot take a duplex?
Often. Since 1 July 2024, dual occupancies have been permitted in the R2 Low Density Residential zone across NSW. Shoalhaven City Council says detached dual occupancies are subject to minimum lot sizes in its residential zones, and the Shoalhaven LEP 2014 sets the controls. We check your lot against them before design. Source: Shoalhaven City Council, dual occupancy.
Can a duplex be approved as complying development?
Yes, where every standard is met. The Low Rise Housing Diversity Code allows dual occupancies of up to two storeys to be approved as complying development, in as little as 20 days. Bushfire prone or flood affected lots commonly need a DA to Shoalhaven City Council instead.
Have you built a duplex in the Shoalhaven?
Yes: the Huskisson Duplex on Jervis Bay, designed by Duplex Building Design and built by CKS Projects, including the pool and landscaping.
Torrens or strata title?
Torrens title gives each home its own lot. Strata title shares common property through a strata scheme. The choice affects design, cost and resale, so it is settled before design starts.
How long does a duplex take?
Around 9–14 months from design to completion is typical for a CKS Projects duplex, depending on the approval pathway and the site.
Two homes on one lot?
Start With a Free Discovery Call
Send the address and what you have in mind. We'll talk through feasibility, the likely approval pathway and title before anything is designed.
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