Doonbah zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Doonbah (Richmond Valley, NSW) - 5.11 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.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Doonbah'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 Doonbah

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.

Doonbah at a glance

Parcels 68 Median lot 19,831 m² Mapped easements 1

How Doonbah is zoned

Primary Production 59%
Environmental Management 29%
Environmental Conservation 6%
Natural Waterways 3%
Large Lot Residential 2%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 0%

Buying in Doonbah? 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 5.11 km², Doonbah 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, 96% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 19,831 m² across 68 parcels.

Who lives in Doonbah

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

Population
298
usual residents, 2021
Median age
68
years
Median household income
$876
per week, Richmond Valley suburb typical $1,337
Median rent
$216
per week, Richmond Valley suburb typical $276
Median mortgage
$1,538
per month
Household size
2.0
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 2
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 909, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 2
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Doonbah's 298 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.0%
5-14 6.7%
15-19 1.0%
20-24 1.7%
25-34 2.3%
35-44 3.3%
45-54 12.0%
55-64 12.4%
65-74 33.8%
75-84 18.1%
85+ 5.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Evans Head, the wider ABS statistical area containing Doonbah. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Doonbah itself.

4,817 in 2001 to 6,062 in 2025, up 26%.

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.

Doonbah data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

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
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Doonbah 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 Doonbah lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Doonbah planning - frequently asked

Is Doonbah flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Doonbah, 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. Richmond Valley is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Doonbah bushfire-prone?

Around 96% of Doonbah is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Richmond Valley average of 97%.

Is Doonbah under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 11% of Doonbah in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 7,000 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 Doonbah?

The dominant planning zone in Doonbah is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and Environmental Conservation.

Does Doonbah have heritage-listed places?

Doonbah has 1 heritage-listed place on record.

What is the typical lot size in Doonbah?

Across 68 surveyed parcels in Doonbah, the median lot size is about 19,831 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

What is the population of Doonbah?

At the 2021 Census Doonbah had 298 usual residents, with a median age of 68 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider Evans Head statistical area, which contains Doonbah, went from 4,817 people in 2001 to 6,062 in 2025, up 26%.

Is Doonbah an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Doonbah scores 909 and sits in decile 2 of 10 nationally and decile 2 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Doonbah?

Median household income in Doonbah was $876 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,337 for the typical suburb in Richmond Valley. Median rent was $216 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,538 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Woodburn 4.5 km <1% 97%
Evans Head 4.6 km Not mapped 91%
North Woodburn
Lismore
5.0 km 99% 4%
Kilgin
Lismore
6.2 km 99% 4%
Broadwater 6.4 km 10% 90%
Rileys Hill 6.9 km <1% 93%
Buckendoon
Lismore
6.9 km 100% 2%
The Gap 9.2 km Not mapped 100%
Swan Bay 9.5 km <1% 96%
Dungarubba
Lismore
10.4 km 100% 23%

See all Richmond Valley suburb profiles →