Cams Wharf zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Cams Wharf (Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 0.83 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Cams Wharf's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Cams Wharf at a glance

Parcels 249 Median lot 183 m² Bus stops 4

How Cams Wharf is zoned

Environmental Conservation 47%
Primary Production Small Lots 23%
Tourist 20%
Public Recreation 6%
Infrastructure 3%
General Residential 0%

Buying in Cams Wharf? 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 0.83 km², Cams Wharf 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, 90% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 183 m² across 249 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in Cams Wharf

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

Population
182
usual residents, 2021
Median age
56
years
Median household income
$1,385
per week, Lake Macquarie suburb typical $1,636
Median rent
$430
per week, Lake Macquarie suburb typical $390
Median mortgage
$1,400
per month
Household size
2.1
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 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 953, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Cams Wharf's 182 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.6%
5-14 13.6%
15-19 5.8%
20-24 2.1%
25-34 0.0%
35-44 12.6%
45-54 15.2%
55-64 17.8%
65-74 18.8%
75-84 11.5%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Swansea - Caves Beach, the wider ABS statistical area containing Cams Wharf. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Cams Wharf itself.

11,100 in 2001 to 13,147 in 2025, up 18%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

Cams Wharf data sources and coverage

Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.

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
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 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 Cams Wharf 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.

See what's in the $9 report →

Cams Wharf planning - frequently asked

Is Cams Wharf flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Cams Wharf, 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. Lake Macquarie is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Cams Wharf bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 90% of Cams Wharf is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lake Macquarie average of 65%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Cams Wharf?

The dominant planning zone in Cams Wharf is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes Primary Production Small Lots and Tourist. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Cams Wharf have heritage-listed places?

Cams Wharf has 1 heritage-listed place on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.

What is the typical lot size in Cams Wharf?

Across 249 surveyed parcels in Cams Wharf, the median lot size is about 183 m².

Does Cams Wharf have a train station?

There is no train station inside Cams Wharf itself. The suburb is served by 4 bus stops.

What is the population of Cams Wharf?

At the 2021 Census Cams Wharf had 182 usual residents, with a median age of 56 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Swansea - Caves Beach statistical area, which contains Cams Wharf, went from 11,100 people in 2001 to 13,147 in 2025, up 18%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Cams Wharf alone.

Is Cams Wharf an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Cams Wharf scores 953 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in Cams Wharf?

Median household income in Cams Wharf was $1,385 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $430 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,400 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Cams Wharf property?

A Cams Wharf planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Murrays Beach 1.0 km Not mapped 91%
Pinny Beach 1.9 km Not mapped 100%
Nords Wharf 2.4 km Not mapped 88%
Catherine Hill Bay 2.9 km Not mapped 94%
Point Wolstoncroft
Central Coast
3.0 km Not mapped 100%
Caves Beach 3.0 km Not mapped 50%
Gwandalan
Central Coast
3.6 km Not mapped 60%
Swansea 4.5 km Not mapped 39%
Moonee 5.0 km Not mapped 94%
Crangan Bay 5.1 km Not mapped 100%

See all Lake Macquarie suburb profiles →