Blackbutt zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Blackbutt (Shellharbour, NSW) - 2.51 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Blackbutt's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

Aircraft noise and flight paths over Blackbutt

Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.

Blackbutt at a glance

Parcels 1,082 Median lot 632 m² Mapped easements 1 Bus stops 37

How Blackbutt is zoned

Public Recreation 52%
Low Density Residential 38%
Large Lot Residential 5%
Infrastructure 4%
Commercial Centre 0%
Local Centre 0%

Buying in Blackbutt? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 2.51 km², Blackbutt is highly constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 57% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Public Recreation. The median lot measures about 632 m² across 1,082 parcels.

Who lives in Blackbutt

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Blackbutt suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
3,291
usual residents, 2021
Median age
43
years
Median household income
$1,604
per week, Shellharbour suburb typical $1,718
Median rent
$420
per week, Shellharbour suburb typical $420
Median mortgage
$2,000
per month
Household size
2.6
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 971, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Blackbutt's 3,291 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.8%
5-14 11.4%
15-19 6.6%
20-24 6.8%
25-34 11.3%
35-44 10.7%
45-54 15.4%
55-64 13.7%
65-74 12.3%
75-84 5.3%
85+ 1.8%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Shellharbour - Oak Flats, the wider ABS statistical area containing Blackbutt. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Blackbutt itself.

10,170 in 2001 to 11,007 in 2025, up 8%.

Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.

Blackbutt data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Blackbutt address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 54% of Blackbutt. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Blackbutt lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Blackbutt planning - frequently asked

Is Blackbutt flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Blackbutt, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Shellharbour is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Blackbutt bushfire-prone?

Around 57% of Blackbutt is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shellharbour average of 47%.

Is Blackbutt under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 54% of Blackbutt, and over about 100% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 2,000 ft, with an average of 3,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.

What is the zoning in Blackbutt?

The dominant planning zone in Blackbutt is Public Recreation, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Large Lot Residential.

Does Blackbutt have heritage-listed places?

Blackbutt has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Blackbutt?

Across 1,082 surveyed parcels in Blackbutt, the median lot size is about 632 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Blackbutt have a train station?

There is no train station inside Blackbutt itself. The suburb is served by 37 bus stops.

What is the population of Blackbutt?

At the 2021 Census Blackbutt had 3,291 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Shellharbour - Oak Flats statistical area, which contains Blackbutt, went from 10,170 people in 2001 to 11,007 in 2025, up 8%.

Is Blackbutt an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Blackbutt scores 971 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 4 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Blackbutt?

Median household income in Blackbutt was $1,604 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,718 for the typical suburb in Shellharbour. Median rent was $420 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,000 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Shellharbour City Centre 0.8 km Not mapped 5%
Oak Flats 1.5 km 0% 13%
Flinders 1.6 km Not mapped 16%
Barrack Heights 2.2 km Not mapped 12%
Mount Warrigal 2.5 km 0% 7%
Shellharbour 2.7 km Not mapped 20%
Croom 2.9 km Not mapped 93%
Warilla 3.3 km 0% <1%
Barrack Point 3.5 km Not mapped 6%
Albion Park Rail 4.0 km 0% 34%

See all Shellharbour suburb profiles →