Planning Maps / Areas / Shoalhaven / Erowal Bay

Erowal Bay zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Erowal Bay (Shoalhaven, NSW) - 3.53 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.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Erowal Bay'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.

Erowal Bay at a glance

Parcels 1,036 Median lot 944 m² Bus stops 22

How Erowal Bay is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 76%
Low Density Residential 16%
Infrastructure 4%
Public Recreation 2%
Rural Landscape 2%
Environmental Conservation 1%

Buying in Erowal Bay? 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 3.53 km², Erowal Bay 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, 89% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 944 m² across 1,036 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 Erowal Bay

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

Population
652
usual residents, 2021
Median age
49
years
Median household income
$1,407
per week, Shoalhaven suburb typical $1,493
Median rent
$370
per week, Shoalhaven suburb typical $350
Median mortgage
$1,517
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 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 946, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Erowal Bay's 652 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.3%
5-14 10.3%
15-19 5.8%
20-24 4.4%
25-34 7.2%
35-44 10.3%
45-54 14.8%
55-64 14.6%
65-74 19.6%
75-84 7.2%
85+ 0.8%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of St Georges Basin - Erowal Bay, the wider ABS statistical area containing Erowal Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Erowal Bay itself.

11,287 in 2001 to 15,444 in 2025, up 37%.

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.

Erowal Bay 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.

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
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Erowal Bay 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 →

Erowal Bay planning - frequently asked

Is Erowal Bay flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Erowal Bay, 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. Shoalhaven 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 Erowal Bay bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 89% of Erowal Bay is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Erowal Bay?

The dominant planning zone in Erowal Bay is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Erowal Bay have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Erowal Bay. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.

What is the typical lot size in Erowal Bay?

Across 1,036 surveyed parcels in Erowal Bay, the median lot size is about 944 m².

Does Erowal Bay have a train station?

There is no train station inside Erowal Bay itself. The suburb is served by 22 bus stops.

What is the population of Erowal Bay?

At the 2021 Census Erowal Bay had 652 usual residents, with a median age of 49 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider St Georges Basin - Erowal Bay statistical area, which contains Erowal Bay, went from 11,287 people in 2001 to 15,444 in 2025, up 37%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Erowal Bay alone.

Is Erowal Bay an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Erowal Bay scores 946 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 3 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 Erowal Bay?

Median household income in Erowal Bay was $1,407 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $370 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,517 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Erowal Bay property?

An Erowal Bay 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 suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Bream Beach 0.6 km Not mapped 100%
Wrights Beach 1.3 km Not mapped 99%
Hyams Beach 1.8 km Not mapped 99%
Old Erowal Bay 2.2 km Not mapped 56%
Vincentia 3.2 km Not mapped 81%
Sanctuary Point 3.5 km Not mapped 30%
Worrowing Heights 3.9 km Not mapped 99%
St Georges Basin 6.6 km Not mapped 24%
Jervis Bay 7.6 km Not mapped 3%
Huskisson 7.7 km Not mapped 92%

See all Shoalhaven suburb profiles →