Property Report / Areas / Ballina / East Ballina

East Ballina zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of East Ballina (Ballina, NSW) - 7.94 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 26 September 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to East Ballina'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 East Ballina

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.

East Ballina at a glance

Parcels 1,993 Median lot 739 m² Mapped easements 5 Bus stops 28

How East Ballina is zoned

Deferred Matter 29%
Low Density Residential 20%
Natural Waterways 10%
Environmental Conservation 10%
Public Recreation 9%
Medium Density Residential 8%

Buying in East Ballina? 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 7.94 km², East Ballina 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, 50% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 9 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Deferred Matter. The median lot measures about 739 m² across 1,993 parcels.

Who lives in East Ballina

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

Population
5,882
usual residents, 2021
Median age
48
years
Median household income
$1,554
per week, Ballina suburb typical $1,812
Median rent
$460
per week, Ballina suburb typical $410
Median mortgage
$1,800
per month
Household size
2.3
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 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1018, and decile 7 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of East Ballina's 5,882 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.6%
5-14 11.0%
15-19 5.3%
20-24 3.3%
25-34 9.4%
35-44 11.8%
45-54 12.9%
55-64 14.4%
65-74 17.1%
75-84 7.5%
85+ 2.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

16,711 in 2001 to 18,813 in 2025, up 13%.

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.

East Ballina 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 26 September 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 East Ballina 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.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 3% of East Ballina. 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 East Ballina lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

East Ballina planning - frequently asked

Is East Ballina flood-prone?

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

Is East Ballina bushfire-prone?

Around 50% of East Ballina is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Ballina average of 68%.

Is East Ballina under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 3% of East Ballina, and over about 12% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 25 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 1,500 ft, with an average of 6,000 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 East Ballina?

The dominant planning zone in East Ballina is Deferred Matter, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Natural Waterways.

Does East Ballina have heritage-listed places?

East Ballina has 9 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in East Ballina?

Across 1,993 surveyed parcels in East Ballina, the median lot size is about 739 m². There are also 5 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does East Ballina have a train station?

There is no train station inside East Ballina itself. The suburb is served by 28 bus stops.

What is the population of East Ballina?

At the 2021 Census East Ballina had 5,882 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Ballina statistical area, which contains East Ballina, went from 16,711 people in 2001 to 18,813 in 2025, up 13%.

Is East Ballina an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), East Ballina scores 1018 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 7 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in East Ballina?

Median household income in East Ballina was $1,554 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,812 for the typical suburb in Ballina. Median rent was $460 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,800 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Skennars Head 2.9 km Not mapped 86%
South Ballina 3.3 km Not mapped 64%
Ballina 3.3 km Not mapped 58%
Keith Hall 5.5 km Not mapped 90%
Cumbalum 6.7 km Not mapped 76%
West Ballina 6.7 km Not mapped 74%
Lennox Head 7.4 km Not mapped 77%
Kinvara 8.1 km Not mapped 96%
Pimlico 9.3 km Not mapped 94%
Empire Vale 9.7 km Not mapped 96%

See all Ballina suburb profiles →