Bowenfels zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Bowenfels (Lithgow City, NSW) - 21.82 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 Bowenfels'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 Bowenfels

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.

Bowenfels at a glance

Parcels 925 Median lot 712 m² Mapped easements 6 Bus stops 47

How Bowenfels is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 32%
Environmental Living 25%
Infrastructure 22%
Environmental Management 11%
Low Density Residential 5%
General Residential 4%

Buying in Bowenfels? 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 21.82 km², Bowenfels 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, 91% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 17 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 712 m² across 925 parcels.

Who lives in Bowenfels

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

Population
2,049
usual residents, 2021
Median age
41
years
Median household income
$917
per week, Lithgow City suburb typical $1,390
Median rent
$185
per week, Lithgow City suburb typical $280
Median mortgage
$1,560
per month
Household size
2.3
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 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 802, and decile 1 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Bowenfels's 2,049 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.7%
5-14 15.3%
15-19 6.7%
20-24 4.9%
25-34 10.1%
35-44 10.6%
45-54 13.4%
55-64 12.3%
65-74 10.2%
75-84 7.4%
85+ 3.5%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

12,829 in 2001 to 12,124 in 2025, down 5%.

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.

Bowenfels 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 Bowenfels 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.

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 Bowenfels lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Bowenfels planning - frequently asked

Is Bowenfels flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Bowenfels, 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. Lithgow City is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Bowenfels bushfire-prone?

Around 91% of Bowenfels is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lithgow City average of 92%.

Is Bowenfels under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 42% of Bowenfels in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 4,500 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 Bowenfels?

The dominant planning zone in Bowenfels is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living and Infrastructure.

Does Bowenfels have heritage-listed places?

Bowenfels has 17 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Bowenfels?

Across 925 surveyed parcels in Bowenfels, the median lot size is about 712 m². There are also 6 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Bowenfels have a train station?

There is no train station inside Bowenfels itself. The suburb is served by 47 bus stops.

What is the population of Bowenfels?

At the 2021 Census Bowenfels had 2,049 usual residents, with a median age of 41 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Lithgow statistical area, which contains Bowenfels, went from 12,829 people in 2001 to 12,124 in 2025, down 5%.

Is Bowenfels an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Bowenfels scores 802 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Bowenfels?

Median household income in Bowenfels was $917 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,390 for the typical suburb in Lithgow City. Median rent was $185 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,560 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Littleton 3.4 km Not mapped 52%
Hermitage Flat 3.5 km Not mapped 68%
South Littleton 3.6 km Not mapped 72%
South Bowenfels 4.3 km Not mapped 95%
Mckellars Park 4.4 km Not mapped 81%
Sheedys Gully 4.5 km Not mapped 94%
Pottery Estate 4.6 km Not mapped 51%
Lithgow 4.9 km Not mapped 36%
Cobar Park 5.0 km Not mapped 100%
Hassans Walls 5.3 km Not mapped 100%

See all Lithgow City suburb profiles →