Darkes Forest flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Darkes Forest (Wollongong, NSW) - 25.55 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
25.55 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Darkes Forest's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Darkes Forest at a glance
How Darkes Forest is zoned
Buying in Darkes Forest? 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 25.55 km², Darkes Forest is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 98% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 122,535 m² across 79 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 Darkes Forest
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Darkes Forest 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 1061, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Darkes Forest's 95 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Helensburgh, the wider ABS statistical area containing Darkes Forest. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Darkes Forest itself.
8,118 in 2001 to 9,174 in 2025, up 13%.
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.
Darkes Forest 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 | 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 Darkes Forest 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 →Darkes Forest planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Darkes Forest?
The schematic on this page is a Darkes Forest flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Darkes Forest address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Darkes Forest flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Darkes Forest and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 4%). Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Darkes Forest bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 98% of Darkes Forest is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Wollongong average of 56%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Darkes Forest?
The dominant planning zone in Darkes Forest is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Environmental Management. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Darkes Forest have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Darkes Forest. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Darkes Forest?
Across 79 surveyed parcels in Darkes Forest, the median lot size is about 122,535 m².
Does Darkes Forest have a train station?
There is no train station inside Darkes Forest itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops.
What is the population of Darkes Forest?
At the 2021 Census Darkes Forest had 95 usual residents, with a median age of 45 and an average household size of 3.2 people. The wider Helensburgh statistical area, which contains Darkes Forest, went from 8,118 people in 2001 to 9,174 in 2025, up 13%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Darkes Forest alone.
Is Darkes Forest an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Darkes Forest scores 1061 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 9 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 Darkes Forest?
Median household income in Darkes Forest was $2,624 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $488 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,326 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Darkes Forest property?
A Darkes Forest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanwell Tops | 4.8 km | 0% | 100% |
| Stanwell Park | 5.2 km | 0% | 87% |
| Coalcliff | 5.3 km | 0% | 96% |
| Maddens Plains | 5.9 km | 0% | 99% |
| Clifton | 6.2 km | 0% | 96% |
| Scarborough | 6.5 km | 0% | 91% |
| Helensburgh | 7.0 km | 0% | 92% |
| Woronora Dam | 7.1 km | 0% | 99% |
| Wombarra | 7.1 km | 0% | 76% |
| Otford | 7.4 km | 0% | 99% |