Marlo Merrican zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Marlo Merrican (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 52.16 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 Marlo Merrican'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.

Marlo Merrican at a glance

Parcels 42 Median lot 420,956 m² Mapped easements 1 Bus stops 2

How Marlo Merrican is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 58%
Rural Landscape 42%
Forestry 0%
Natural Waterways 0%

Buying in Marlo Merrican? 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 52.16 km², Marlo Merrican 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. The dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 420,956 m² across 42 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 Marlo Merrican

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

Population
60
usual residents, 2021
Median age
43
years
Median household income
$949
per week, Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb typical $1,381
Median rent
$250
per week, Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb typical $350
Median mortgage
$1,625
per month
Household size
2.8
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 957, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Marlo Merrican's 60 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 0.0%
5-14 17.6%
15-19 13.7%
20-24 9.8%
25-34 0.0%
35-44 9.8%
45-54 15.7%
55-64 25.5%
65-74 7.8%
75-84 0.0%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

5,244 in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%.

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.

Marlo Merrican 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 Marlo Merrican 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 →

Marlo Merrican planning - frequently asked

Is Marlo Merrican flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Marlo Merrican, 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 Marlo Merrican bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 100% of Marlo Merrican 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 Marlo Merrican?

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

Does Marlo Merrican have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Marlo Merrican. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.

What is the typical lot size in Marlo Merrican?

Across 42 surveyed parcels in Marlo Merrican, the median lot size is about 420,956 m². There are also 1 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 Marlo Merrican have a train station?

There is no train station inside Marlo Merrican itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops.

What is the population of Marlo Merrican?

At the 2021 Census Marlo Merrican had 60 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.8 people. The wider Port Macquarie Surrounds statistical area, which contains Marlo Merrican, went from 5,244 people in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Marlo Merrican alone.

Is Marlo Merrican an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Marlo Merrican scores 957 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 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 Marlo Merrican?

Median household income in Marlo Merrican was $949 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,381 for the typical suburb in Port Macquarie-Hastings. Median rent was $250 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,625 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Marlo Merrican property?

A Marlo Merrican 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
Dondingalong
Kempsey
7.0 km Not mapped 100%
Upper Rollands Plains 8.1 km Not mapped 100%
Gum Scrub 8.8 km Not mapped 100%
Yessabah
Kempsey
9.2 km Not mapped 100%
Rollands Plains 11.1 km Not mapped 100%
Gearys Flat 11.6 km Not mapped 100%
Kundabung
Kempsey
12.2 km Not mapped 100%
Ballengarra 13.5 km Not mapped 100%
Sherwood
Kempsey
14.0 km Not mapped 100%
Burnt Bridge
Kempsey
14.7 km Not mapped 100%

See all Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb profiles →