Gum Scrub zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Gum Scrub (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 71.3 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 Gum Scrub'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.

Gum Scrub at a glance

Parcels 69 Median lot 401,123 m² Bus stops 4

How Gum Scrub is zoned

Forestry 33%
Rural Landscape 29%
Primary Production 23%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 16%

Buying in Gum Scrub? 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 71.3 km², Gum Scrub 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, 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Forestry. The median lot measures about 401,123 m² across 69 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 Gum Scrub

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

Population
121
usual residents, 2021
Median age
44
years
Median household income
$1,583
per week, Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb typical $1,381
Median rent
$400
per week, Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb typical $350
Median mortgage
$2,000
per month
Household size
2.7
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 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 981, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Gum Scrub's 121 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.2%
5-14 9.7%
15-19 2.7%
20-24 5.3%
25-34 15.0%
35-44 10.6%
45-54 13.3%
55-64 23.0%
65-74 14.2%
75-84 0.0%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

5,244 in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%.

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.

Gum Scrub 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 Gum Scrub 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 →

Gum Scrub planning - frequently asked

Is Gum Scrub flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Gum Scrub, 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 Macquarie-Hastings 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 Gum Scrub bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 100% of Gum Scrub is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Macquarie-Hastings average of 93%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Gum Scrub?

The dominant planning zone in Gum Scrub is Forestry, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape and Primary Production. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Gum Scrub have heritage-listed places?

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

What is the typical lot size in Gum Scrub?

Across 69 surveyed parcels in Gum Scrub, the median lot size is about 401,123 m².

Does Gum Scrub have a train station?

There is no train station inside Gum Scrub itself. The suburb is served by 4 bus stops.

What is the population of Gum Scrub?

At the 2021 Census Gum Scrub had 121 usual residents, with a median age of 44 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Port Macquarie Surrounds statistical area, which contains Gum Scrub, went from 5,244 people in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Gum Scrub alone.

Is Gum Scrub an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Gum Scrub scores 981 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 5 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 Gum Scrub?

Median household income in Gum Scrub was $1,583 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,381 for the typical suburb in Port Macquarie-Hastings. Median rent was $400 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,000 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Gum Scrub property?

A Gum Scrub 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
Ballengarra 6.6 km Not mapped 100%
Cooperabung
Kempsey
8.0 km Not mapped 100%
Rollands Plains 8.4 km Not mapped 100%
Telegraph Point 8.7 km Not mapped 99%
Marlo Merrican 8.8 km Not mapped 100%
Kundabung
Kempsey
10.0 km Not mapped 100%
Cairncross 10.2 km Not mapped 100%
Hacks Ferry 11.5 km Not mapped 98%
Dondingalong
Kempsey
12.1 km Not mapped 100%
Upper Rollands Plains 12.5 km Not mapped 100%

See all Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb profiles →