Planning Maps / Areas / Wollongong / Koonawarra

Koonawarra flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Koonawarra (Wollongong, NSW) - 2.18 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Koonawarra'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.

Koonawarra at a glance

Parcels 1,370 Median lot 612 m² Bus stops 58

How Koonawarra is zoned

Low Density Residential 66%
Public Recreation 20%
Environmental Management 10%
Environmental Conservation 4%
Local Centre 0%
Natural Waterways 0%

Buying in Koonawarra? 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 2.18 km², Koonawarra is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 38% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 612 m² across 1,370 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 Koonawarra

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

Population
3,732
usual residents, 2021
Median age
36
years
Median household income
$1,258
per week, Wollongong suburb typical $1,912
Median rent
$350
per week, Wollongong suburb typical $400
Median mortgage
$1,733
per month
Household size
2.6
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 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 860, and decile 1 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Koonawarra's 3,732 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.2%
5-14 14.4%
15-19 6.5%
20-24 7.2%
25-34 13.7%
35-44 11.8%
45-54 12.1%
55-64 11.6%
65-74 9.5%
75-84 5.5%
85+ 1.3%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Dapto - Avondale, the wider ABS statistical area containing Koonawarra. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Koonawarra itself.

21,968 in 2001 to 24,842 in 2025, up 13%.

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.

Koonawarra 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 mappingMappedNSW 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 Koonawarra 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 →

Koonawarra planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Koonawarra?

The schematic on this page is a Koonawarra 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 Koonawarra address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Koonawarra flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Koonawarra and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 4%). Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Koonawarra bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 38% of Koonawarra is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Wollongong average of 56%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Koonawarra?

The dominant planning zone in Koonawarra is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Environmental Management. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Koonawarra have heritage-listed places?

Koonawarra 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 Koonawarra?

Across 1,370 surveyed parcels in Koonawarra, the median lot size is about 612 m².

Does Koonawarra have a train station?

There is no train station inside Koonawarra itself. The suburb is served by 58 bus stops.

What is the population of Koonawarra?

At the 2021 Census Koonawarra had 3,732 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Dapto - Avondale statistical area, which contains Koonawarra, went from 21,968 people in 2001 to 24,842 in 2025, up 13%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Koonawarra alone.

Is Koonawarra an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Koonawarra scores 860 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 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 Koonawarra?

Median household income in Koonawarra was $1,258 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $350 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 Koonawarra property?

A Koonawarra 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
Dapto 1.1 km 7% 29%
Kanahooka 1.8 km 0% 11%
Brownsville 2.7 km 0% 59%
Yallah 3.2 km 0% 74%
Horsley 3.3 km 26% 45%
Cleveland 3.5 km 51% 100%
Stream Hill 4.2 km 25% 88%
Berkeley 4.4 km 0% 42%
Haywards Bay 4.4 km 0% 64%
Kembla Grange 5.0 km 12% 66%

See all Wollongong suburb profiles →