Herons Creek zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Herons Creek (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 85.02 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 Herons Creek'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.

Herons Creek at a glance

Parcels 248 Median lot 45,072 m² Mapped easements 11 Bus stops 14

How Herons Creek is zoned

Forestry 68%
Primary Production 28%
Infrastructure 2%
Heavy Industrial 1%
Village 0%
Environmental Conservation 0%

Buying in Herons Creek? 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 85.02 km², Herons Creek 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. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Forestry. The median lot measures about 45,072 m² across 248 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 Herons Creek

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

Population
246
usual residents, 2021
Median age
46
years
Median household income
$1,266
per week, Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb typical $1,381
Median rent
$360
per week, Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb typical $350
Median mortgage
$1,473
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 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 966, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Herons Creek's 246 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.5%
5-14 16.9%
15-19 4.1%
20-24 3.3%
25-34 7.9%
35-44 12.8%
45-54 15.7%
55-64 14.0%
65-74 14.0%
75-84 5.4%
85+ 1.2%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Laurieton - Bonny Hills, the wider ABS statistical area containing Herons Creek. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Herons Creek itself.

13,784 in 2001 to 19,995 in 2025, up 45%.

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.

Herons Creek 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 Herons Creek 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 →

Herons Creek planning - frequently asked

Is Herons Creek flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Herons Creek, 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 Herons Creek bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 100% of Herons Creek 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 Herons Creek?

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

Does Herons Creek have heritage-listed places?

Herons Creek has 1 heritage-listed place 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 Herons Creek?

Across 248 surveyed parcels in Herons Creek, the median lot size is about 45,072 m². There are also 11 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 Herons Creek have a train station?

There is no train station inside Herons Creek itself. The suburb is served by 14 bus stops.

What is the population of Herons Creek?

At the 2021 Census Herons Creek had 246 usual residents, with a median age of 46 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Laurieton - Bonny Hills statistical area, which contains Herons Creek, went from 13,784 people in 2001 to 19,995 in 2025, up 45%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Herons Creek alone.

Is Herons Creek an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Herons Creek scores 966 and sits in decile 4 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 Herons Creek?

Median household income in Herons Creek was $1,266 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,381 for the typical suburb in Port Macquarie-Hastings. Median rent was $360 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,473 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Herons Creek property?

A Herons Creek 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
Logans Crossing 4.9 km Not mapped 96%
Bobs Creek 5.6 km Not mapped 100%
Bago 6.1 km Not mapped 100%
Jolly Nose 7.3 km Not mapped 69%
Kendall 7.6 km Not mapped 90%
Black Creek 8.1 km Not mapped 100%
King Creek 9.0 km Not mapped 80%
Upsalls Creek 9.1 km Not mapped 100%
Lakewood 9.3 km Not mapped 80%
Wauchope 10.0 km Not mapped 74%

See all Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb profiles →