Bonnells Bay flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Bonnells Bay
(Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 3.26 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 26 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
3.26 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Bonnells Bay's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Bonnells Bay
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.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 25 Sep 2026
Night movements: not established - night is sampled far less often than day and nothing can be concluded either way.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Bonnells Bay at a glance
How Bonnells Bay is zoned
Buying in Bonnells Bay? 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 3.26 km², Bonnells Bay is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 2% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 54% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 648 m² across 1,954 parcels.
Who lives in Bonnells Bay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Bonnells Bay suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 961, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Bonnells Bay's 4,066 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Bonnells Bay - Silverwater, the wider ABS statistical area containing Bonnells Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Bonnells Bay itself.
7,450 in 2001 to 10,266 in 2025, up 38%.
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.
Bonnells Bay data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 26 September 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 Bonnells Bay 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 12% of Bonnells Bay. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Published flood models are held over parts of Bonnells Bay. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Bonnells Bay lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Bonnells Bay planning - frequently asked
Is Bonnells Bay flood-prone?
About 2% of Bonnells Bay falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 7%. Published flood models are held over parts of Bonnells Bay; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Bonnells Bay bushfire-prone?
Around 54% of Bonnells Bay is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lake Macquarie average of 65%.
Is Bonnells Bay under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 12% of Bonnells Bay, and over about 25% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 25 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 1,500 ft, with an average of 3,500 ft. 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 Bonnells Bay?
The dominant planning zone in Bonnells Bay is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Conservation and Transition.
Does Bonnells Bay have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Bonnells Bay.
What is the typical lot size in Bonnells Bay?
Across 1,954 surveyed parcels in Bonnells Bay, the median lot size is about 648 m².
Does Bonnells Bay have a train station?
There is no train station inside Bonnells Bay itself. The suburb is served by 62 bus stops.
What is the population of Bonnells Bay?
At the 2021 Census Bonnells Bay had 4,066 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Bonnells Bay - Silverwater statistical area, which contains Bonnells Bay, went from 7,450 people in 2001 to 10,266 in 2025, up 38%.
Is Bonnells Bay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Bonnells Bay scores 961 and sits in decile 4 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 Bonnells Bay?
Median household income in Bonnells Bay was $1,460 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $400 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,820 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windermere Park | 1.1 km | Not mapped | 33% |
| Morisset Park | 1.8 km | 5% | 33% |
| Brightwaters | 2.2 km | <1% | 75% |
| Yarrawonga Park | 2.6 km | Not mapped | 80% |
| Morisset | 2.9 km | 12% | 85% |
| Mirrabooka | 3.1 km | <1% | 72% |
| Balcolyn | 3.3 km | Not mapped | 37% |
| Silverwater | 3.5 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Sunshine | 3.7 km | 2% | 80% |
| Eraring | 4.1 km | 32% | 60% |