Howards Grass flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Howards Grass (Lismore, NSW) - 2.58 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
2.58 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Howards Grass's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Howards Grass at a glance
How Howards Grass is zoned
Buying in Howards Grass? 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 2.58 km², Howards Grass is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 10% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 1,448 m² across 53 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 Howards Grass
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Howards Grass suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 987, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Howards Grass's 78 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Lismore, the wider ABS statistical area containing Howards Grass. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Howards Grass itself.
16,516 in 2001 to 13,679 in 2025, down 17%.
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.
Howards Grass 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.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Demographics | Available | Australian 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 Howards Grass 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 →Howards Grass planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Howards Grass?
The schematic on this page is a Howards Grass flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Howards Grass address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Howards Grass flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Howards Grass and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Howards Grass bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 10% of Howards Grass is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lismore average of 33%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Howards Grass?
The dominant planning zone in Howards Grass is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Natural Waterways and General Residential. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Howards Grass have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Howards Grass. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Howards Grass?
Across 53 surveyed parcels in Howards Grass, the median lot size is about 1,448 m². There are also 2 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.
What is the population of Howards Grass?
At the 2021 Census Howards Grass had 78 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Lismore statistical area, which contains Howards Grass, went from 16,516 people in 2001 to 13,679 in 2025, down 17%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Howards Grass alone.
Is Howards Grass an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Howards Grass scores 987 and sits in decile 6 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 Howards Grass?
Median household income in Howards Grass was $1,850 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,458 for the typical suburb in Lismore. Median rent was $415 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 Howards Grass property?
A Howards Grass 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 suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lismore Heights | 1.6 km | 0% | 22% |
| Lagoon Grass | 1.9 km | 0% | 5% |
| North Lismore | 2.3 km | 0% | 17% |
| Lismore | 2.4 km | 0% | 22% |
| Woodlawn | 3.2 km | 0% | 16% |
| Girards Hill | 3.8 km | 0% | 22% |
| East Lismore | 4.0 km | 0% | 33% |
| Richmond Hill | 4.2 km | 0% | 28% |
| Tullera | 4.3 km | 0% | 34% |
| Goonellabah | 4.7 km | 0% | 34% |