Carey Bay zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Carey Bay (Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 0.49 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
0.49 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained 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 Carey Bay'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.
Carey Bay at a glance
How Carey Bay is zoned
Buying in Carey 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 0.49 km², Carey Bay is relatively unconstrained 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, 12% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 693 m² across 357 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 Carey Bay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Carey 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 1005, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Carey Bay's 865 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Toronto - Awaba, the wider ABS statistical area containing Carey Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Carey Bay itself.
13,457 in 2001 to 14,088 in 2025, up 5%.
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.
Carey Bay 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.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Not 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 |
| Demographics | Available | Australian 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 Carey 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.
See what's in the $9 report →Carey Bay planning - frequently asked
Is Carey Bay flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Carey Bay, 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 Carey Bay bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 12% of Carey Bay 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 Carey Bay?
The dominant planning zone in Carey Bay is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Medium Density Residential and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Carey Bay have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Carey Bay. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Carey Bay?
Across 357 surveyed parcels in Carey Bay, the median lot size is about 693 m².
Does Carey Bay have a train station?
There is no train station inside Carey Bay itself. The suburb is served by 15 bus stops.
What is the population of Carey Bay?
At the 2021 Census Carey Bay had 865 usual residents, with a median age of 54 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Toronto - Awaba statistical area, which contains Carey Bay, went from 13,457 people in 2001 to 14,088 in 2025, up 5%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Carey Bay alone.
Is Carey Bay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Carey Bay scores 1005 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 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 Carey Bay?
Median household income in Carey Bay was $1,266 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $327 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,950 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Carey Bay property?
A Carey Bay 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 suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilaben Bay | 1.2 km | Not mapped | 68% |
| Coal Point | 1.6 km | Not mapped | 28% |
| Toronto | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Rathmines | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 71% |
| Fishing Point | 3.2 km | Not mapped | 7% |
| Bolton Point | 3.4 km | Not mapped | 62% |
| Balmoral | 3.4 km | Not mapped | 75% |
| Valentine | 3.5 km | Not mapped | 74% |
| Buttaba | 3.7 km | Not mapped | 80% |
| Blackalls Park | 3.7 km | Not mapped | 56% |