Planning Maps / Areas / Lane Cove / Northwood

Northwood zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Northwood (Lane Cove, NSW) - 0.36 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.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Northwood'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.

Northwood at a glance

Parcels 362 Median lot 696 m² Mapped easements 9 Bus stops 14

How Northwood is zoned

Low Density Residential 88%
Environmental Conservation 8%
Public Recreation 3%
Infrastructure 2%
Unzoned Land 0%

Buying in Northwood? 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 0.36 km², Northwood 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, 15% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 44 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 696 m² across 362 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 Northwood

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

Population
916
usual residents, 2021
Median age
46
years
Median household income
$5,012
per week, Lane Cove suburb typical $3,399
Median rent
$1,200
per week, Lane Cove suburb typical $785
Median mortgage
$4,200
per month
Household size
3.1
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 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1217, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Northwood's 916 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.8%
5-14 15.2%
15-19 9.1%
20-24 5.6%
25-34 5.6%
35-44 8.6%
45-54 16.4%
55-64 16.7%
65-74 9.2%
75-84 6.9%
85+ 1.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

12,533 in 2001 to 13,212 in 2025, up 5%.

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.

Northwood 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 Northwood 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 →

Northwood planning - frequently asked

Is Northwood flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Northwood, 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. Lane Cove 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 Northwood bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 15% of Northwood is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lane Cove average of 15%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Northwood?

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

Does Northwood have heritage-listed places?

Northwood has 44 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 Northwood?

Across 362 surveyed parcels in Northwood, the median lot size is about 696 m². There are also 9 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 Northwood have a train station?

There is no train station inside Northwood itself. The suburb is served by 14 bus stops.

What is the population of Northwood?

At the 2021 Census Northwood had 916 usual residents, with a median age of 46 and an average household size of 3.1 people. The wider Greenwich - Riverview statistical area, which contains Northwood, went from 12,533 people in 2001 to 13,212 in 2025, up 5%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Northwood alone.

Is Northwood an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Northwood scores 1217 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 Northwood?

Median household income in Northwood was $5,012 a week at the 2021 Census, against $3,399 for the typical suburb in Lane Cove. Median rent was $1,200 a week and the median mortgage repayment $4,200 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Northwood property?

A Northwood 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
Greenwich 0.7 km Not mapped 13%
Longueville 0.9 km Not mapped 11%
Woolwich
Hunters Hill
1.4 km Not mapped 26%
St Leonards
Willoughby
1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Wollstonecraft
North Sydney
1.6 km Not mapped 21%
Lane Cove 1.8 km Not mapped 10%
Riverview 1.8 km Not mapped 6%
Artarmon
Willoughby
1.9 km Not mapped 6%
Waverton
North Sydney
2.1 km Not mapped 19%
Crows Nest
North Sydney
2.3 km Not mapped 0%

See all Lane Cove suburb profiles →