Planning Maps / Areas / Port Stephens / Fingal Bay

Fingal Bay zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Fingal Bay (Port Stephens, NSW) - 9.68 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 Fingal 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.

Fingal Bay at a glance

Parcels 844 Median lot 640 m² Mapped easements 1 Bus stops 42

How Fingal Bay is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 87%
Low Density Residential 8%
Public Recreation 5%
Special Activities 1%
Private Recreation 0%
Local Centre 0%

Buying in Fingal 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 9.68 km², Fingal 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, 78% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 640 m² across 844 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 Fingal Bay

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

Population
1,635
usual residents, 2021
Median age
63
years
Median household income
$1,114
per week, Port Stephens suburb typical $1,421
Median rent
$390
per week, Port Stephens suburb typical $365
Median mortgage
$1,733
per month
Household size
2.1
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 949, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Fingal Bay's 1,635 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.4%
5-14 8.0%
15-19 3.2%
20-24 2.6%
25-34 5.4%
35-44 6.3%
45-54 8.4%
55-64 16.9%
65-74 23.0%
75-84 17.1%
85+ 6.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

17,533 in 2001 to 22,156 in 2025, up 26%.

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.

Fingal 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 Fingal 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 →

Fingal Bay planning - frequently asked

Is Fingal Bay flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Fingal 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. Port Stephens 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 Fingal Bay bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 78% of Fingal Bay is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Stephens average of 82%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Fingal Bay?

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

Does Fingal Bay have heritage-listed places?

Fingal Bay 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 Fingal Bay?

Across 844 surveyed parcels in Fingal Bay, the median lot size is about 640 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does Fingal Bay have a train station?

There is no train station inside Fingal Bay itself. The suburb is served by 42 bus stops.

What is the population of Fingal Bay?

At the 2021 Census Fingal Bay had 1,635 usual residents, with a median age of 63 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Nelson Bay Peninsula statistical area, which contains Fingal Bay, went from 17,533 people in 2001 to 22,156 in 2025, up 26%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Fingal Bay alone.

Is Fingal Bay an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Fingal Bay scores 949 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 Fingal Bay?

Median household income in Fingal Bay was $1,114 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,421 for the typical suburb in Port Stephens. Median rent was $390 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,733 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

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

A Fingal 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
Nelson Bay 2.7 km Not mapped 79%
Shoal Bay 3.2 km Not mapped 84%
One Mile 4.2 km Not mapped 83%
Corlette 5.1 km Not mapped 44%
Boat Harbour 5.9 km Not mapped 78%
Salamander Bay 7.0 km Not mapped 75%
Fishermans Bay 7.3 km Not mapped 100%
Anna Bay 8.2 km Not mapped 76%
Taylors Beach 8.9 km Not mapped 97%
Port Stephens 9.3 km Not mapped 4%

See all Port Stephens suburb profiles →