Darkwood zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Darkwood
(Bellingen, NSW) - 142.72 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.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
142.72 km² - 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.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Darkwood'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 Darkwood
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.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 2 Oct 2026
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Darkwood at a glance
How Darkwood is zoned
Buying in Darkwood? 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 142.72 km², Darkwood 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, 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 6 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 149,810 m² across 106 parcels.
Who lives in Darkwood
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Darkwood 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 952, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Darkwood's 237 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Bellingen, the wider ABS statistical area containing Darkwood. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Darkwood itself.
5,539 in 2001 to 6,200 in 2025, up 12%.
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.
Darkwood data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| 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 |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian 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 Darkwood 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 Darkwood lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Darkwood planning - frequently asked
Is Darkwood flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Darkwood, 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. Bellingen is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Darkwood bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Darkwood is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Bellingen average of 98%.
Is Darkwood under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 8% of Darkwood in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 4,000 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 Darkwood?
The dominant planning zone in Darkwood is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living and Forestry.
Does Darkwood have heritage-listed places?
Darkwood has 6 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Darkwood?
Across 106 surveyed parcels in Darkwood, the median lot size is about 149,810 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Darkwood have a train station?
There is no train station inside Darkwood itself. The suburb is served by 30 bus stops.
What is the population of Darkwood?
At the 2021 Census Darkwood had 237 usual residents, with a median age of 47 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Bellingen statistical area, which contains Darkwood, went from 5,539 people in 2001 to 6,200 in 2025, up 12%.
Is Darkwood an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Darkwood scores 952 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Darkwood?
Median household income in Darkwood was $949 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,268 for the typical suburb in Bellingen. Median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,000 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bielsdown Hills | 6.8 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Fernbrook | 9.7 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Dorrigo Mountain | 11.2 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Kalang | 11.6 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Dorrigo | 12.5 km | Not mapped | 95% |
| Deer Vale | 13.1 km | 0% | 100% |
| Thora | 13.4 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Brinerville | 14.3 km | 0% | 100% |
| Girralong Nambucca Valley |
14.9 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Killiekrankie Nambucca Valley |
16.3 km | Not mapped | 100% |