Planning Maps / Areas / Lake Macquarie / Cardiff Heights

Cardiff Heights zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Cardiff Heights (Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 1.17 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 Cardiff Heights'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.

Cardiff Heights at a glance

Parcels 489 Median lot 756 m² Mapped easements 2 Bus stops 35

How Cardiff Heights is zoned

Low Density Residential 55%
Environmental Living 35%
Primary Production Small Lots 4%
Environmental Conservation 3%
Public Recreation 2%
Transition 0%

Buying in Cardiff Heights? 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 1.17 km², Cardiff Heights 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, 68% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 756 m² across 489 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 Cardiff Heights

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

Population
1,384
usual residents, 2021
Median age
44
years
Median household income
$1,850
per week, Lake Macquarie suburb typical $1,636
Median rent
$380
per week, Lake Macquarie suburb typical $390
Median mortgage
$2,050
per month
Household size
2.4
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 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1048, and decile 8 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Cardiff Heights's 1,384 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.1%
5-14 11.8%
15-19 5.5%
20-24 5.7%
25-34 10.7%
35-44 12.3%
45-54 12.3%
55-64 12.1%
65-74 11.0%
75-84 7.8%
85+ 5.9%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

22,959 in 2001 to 25,569 in 2025, up 11%.

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.

Cardiff Heights 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 Cardiff Heights 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 →

Cardiff Heights planning - frequently asked

Is Cardiff Heights flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Cardiff Heights, 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 Cardiff Heights bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 68% of Cardiff Heights 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 Cardiff Heights?

The dominant planning zone in Cardiff Heights is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living and Primary Production Small Lots. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Cardiff Heights have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Cardiff Heights. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.

What is the typical lot size in Cardiff Heights?

Across 489 surveyed parcels in Cardiff Heights, the median lot size is about 756 m². There are also 2 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does Cardiff Heights have a train station?

There is no train station inside Cardiff Heights itself. The suburb is served by 35 bus stops.

What is the population of Cardiff Heights?

At the 2021 Census Cardiff Heights had 1,384 usual residents, with a median age of 44 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Glendale - Cardiff - Hillsborough statistical area, which contains Cardiff Heights, went from 22,959 people in 2001 to 25,569 in 2025, up 11%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Cardiff Heights alone.

Is Cardiff Heights an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Cardiff Heights scores 1048 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 8 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 Cardiff Heights?

Median household income in Cardiff Heights was $1,850 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $380 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,050 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Cardiff Heights property?

A Cardiff Heights 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
Rankin Park
Newcastle
1.1 km Not mapped 54%
Garden Suburb 1.8 km Not mapped 69%
Elermore Vale
Newcastle
1.8 km Not mapped 59%
Glendale 1.9 km Not mapped 53%
Cardiff 1.9 km Not mapped 22%
New Lambton Heights
Newcastle
2.3 km Not mapped 76%
Cardiff South 2.5 km Not mapped 38%
Kotara
Newcastle
2.7 km Not mapped 34%
Kotara South 2.9 km Not mapped 27%
Macquarie Hills 3.3 km Not mapped 58%

See all Lake Macquarie suburb profiles →