Empire Vale zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Empire Vale (Ballina, NSW) - 15.06 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained 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
15.06 km² - this suburb is highly constrained 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 Empire Vale'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.
Empire Vale at a glance
How Empire Vale is zoned
Buying in Empire Vale? 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 15.06 km², Empire Vale 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 are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 9,021 m² across 117 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 Empire Vale
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Empire Vale 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 977, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Empire Vale's 185 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Ballina Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Empire Vale. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Empire Vale itself.
14,963 in 2001 to 19,370 in 2025, up 29%.
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.
Empire Vale 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 Empire Vale 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 →Empire Vale planning - frequently asked
Is Empire Vale flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Empire Vale, 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. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Empire Vale bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 96% of Empire Vale is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Ballina average of 72%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Empire Vale?
The dominant planning zone in Empire Vale is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Deferred Matter and Natural Waterways. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Empire Vale have heritage-listed places?
Empire Vale has 2 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.
What is the typical lot size in Empire Vale?
Across 117 surveyed parcels in Empire Vale, the median lot size is about 9,021 m².
What is the population of Empire Vale?
At the 2021 Census Empire Vale had 185 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Ballina Surrounds statistical area, which contains Empire Vale, went from 14,963 people in 2001 to 19,370 in 2025, up 29%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Empire Vale alone.
Is Empire Vale an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Empire Vale scores 977 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 4 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 Empire Vale?
Median household income in Empire Vale was $1,428 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,812 for the typical suburb in Ballina. Median rent was $520 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,613 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Empire Vale property?
An Empire Vale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pimlico Island | 2.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Patchs Beach | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Pimlico | 3.6 km | 0% | 94% |
| Keith Hall | 4.3 km | 0% | 90% |
| Coolgardie | 5.4 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| East Wardell | 5.7 km | Not mapped | 95% |
| South Ballina | 6.4 km | 0% | 64% |
| Uralba | 7.0 km | 0% | 96% |
| West Ballina | 7.1 km | 0% | 74% |
| Wardell | 8.6 km | Not mapped | 93% |