Kareela zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Kareela (Sutherland Shire, NSW) - 1.69 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
1.69 km² - this suburb is moderately 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 Kareela'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.
Kareela at a glance
How Kareela is zoned
Buying in Kareela? 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 1.69 km², Kareela is moderately 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, 12% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 567 m² across 1,243 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 Kareela
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Kareela 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 1125, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Kareela's 3,572 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Oyster Bay - Como - Jannali, the wider ABS statistical area containing Kareela. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Kareela itself.
21,252 in 2001 to 22,878 in 2025, up 8%.
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.
Kareela 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 | Not 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 Kareela 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 →Kareela planning - frequently asked
Is Kareela flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Kareela, 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. Sutherland Shire 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 Kareela bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 12% of Kareela is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Sutherland Shire average of 46%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Kareela?
The dominant planning zone in Kareela is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Kareela have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Kareela. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Kareela?
Across 1,243 surveyed parcels in Kareela, the median lot size is about 567 m². There are also 18 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 Kareela have a train station?
There is no train station inside Kareela itself. The suburb is served by 45 bus stops.
What is the population of Kareela?
At the 2021 Census Kareela had 3,572 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Oyster Bay - Como - Jannali statistical area, which contains Kareela, went from 21,252 people in 2001 to 22,878 in 2025, up 8%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Kareela alone.
Is Kareela an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Kareela scores 1125 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 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 Kareela?
Median household income in Kareela was $2,765 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,626 for the typical suburb in Sutherland Shire. Median rent was $695 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,000 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Kareela property?
A Kareela 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oyster Bay | 1.2 km | Not mapped | 11% |
| Jannali | 1.3 km | Not mapped | 33% |
| Sylvania | 1.6 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Kirrawee | 2.0 km | Not mapped | 13% |
| Gymea | 2.1 km | Not mapped | 1% |
| Kangaroo Point | 2.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Como | 2.5 km | Not mapped | 21% |
| Miranda | 2.7 km | Not mapped | <1% |
| Bonnet Bay | 2.7 km | Not mapped | 59% |
| Sylvania Waters | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |