Planning Maps / Areas / Shoalhaven / Little Forest

Little Forest zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Little Forest (Shoalhaven, NSW) - 24.83 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 Little Forest'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.

Little Forest at a glance

Parcels 141 Median lot 51,834 m² Mapped easements 7 Bus stops 2

How Little Forest is zoned

Rural Landscape 33%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 33%
Primary Production 18%
Environmental Conservation 8%
Environmental Living 4%
Primary Production Small Lots 4%

Buying in Little Forest? 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 24.83 km², Little Forest 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 are 5 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 51,834 m² across 141 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 Little Forest

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

Population
185
usual residents, 2021
Median age
59
years
Median household income
$1,218
per week, Shoalhaven suburb typical $1,493
Median rent
$350
per week, Shoalhaven suburb typical $350
Median mortgage
$1,434
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 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1029, and decile 7 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Little Forest's 185 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.8%
5-14 9.8%
15-19 1.6%
20-24 5.4%
25-34 5.4%
35-44 6.5%
45-54 8.7%
55-64 22.8%
65-74 24.5%
75-84 8.7%
85+ 2.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

4,238 in 2001 to 6,047 in 2025, up 43%.

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.

Little Forest 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 Little Forest 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 →

Little Forest planning - frequently asked

Is Little Forest flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Little Forest, 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. Shoalhaven 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 Little Forest bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 100% of Little Forest is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Little Forest?

The dominant planning zone in Little Forest is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Primary Production. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Little Forest have heritage-listed places?

Little Forest has 5 heritage-listed places 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 Little Forest?

Across 141 surveyed parcels in Little Forest, the median lot size is about 51,834 m². There are also 7 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 Little Forest have a train station?

There is no train station inside Little Forest itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops.

What is the population of Little Forest?

At the 2021 Census Little Forest had 185 usual residents, with a median age of 59 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Ulladulla Surrounds statistical area, which contains Little Forest, went from 4,238 people in 2001 to 6,047 in 2025, up 43%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Little Forest alone.

Is Little Forest an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Little Forest scores 1029 and sits in decile 8 of 10 nationally and decile 7 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 Little Forest?

Median household income in Little Forest was $1,218 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,434 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Little Forest property?

A Little Forest 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
Croobyar 4.1 km Not mapped 100%
Yatte Yattah 4.4 km Not mapped 100%
Porters Creek 5.1 km Not mapped 100%
Pointer Mountain 5.9 km Not mapped 100%
Mount Kingiman 6.5 km Not mapped 100%
Conjola Park 7.0 km Not mapped 97%
Milton 7.0 km Not mapped 90%
Woodstock 7.4 km Not mapped 93%
Conjola 7.8 km Not mapped 100%
Narrawallee 8.7 km Not mapped 83%

See all Shoalhaven suburb profiles →