Property Report / 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 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 Erowal Bay'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 Erowal Bay

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.

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.

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: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.

Erowal Bay 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 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.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 83% of Erowal Bay. 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 Erowal Bay lot.

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.

Is Erowal Bay bushfire-prone?

Around 89% of Erowal Bay is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%.

Is Erowal Bay under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 83% of Erowal Bay, and over about 87% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 26 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 1,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. 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 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.

Does Erowal Bay have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Erowal Bay.

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%.

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 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

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.

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 →