Nowley zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Nowley
(Narrabri, NSW) - 368.3 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 26 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
368.3 km² - this suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Nowley's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Nowley at a glance
How Nowley is zoned
Buying in Nowley? 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 368.3 km², Nowley 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 Primary Production. The median lot measures about 927,294 m² across 195 parcels.
Who lives in Nowley
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Nowley 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 1058, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Narrabri Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Nowley. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Nowley itself.
5,721 in 2001 to 4,602 in 2025, down 20%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Nowley data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| 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 |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Watched, not yet sampled here | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 26 September 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 Nowley 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.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Nowley lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Nowley planning - frequently asked
Is Nowley flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Nowley, 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. Narrabri is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Nowley bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Nowley is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Narrabri average of 100%.
What is the zoning in Nowley?
The dominant planning zone in Nowley is Primary Production.
Does Nowley have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Nowley.
What is the typical lot size in Nowley?
Across 195 surveyed parcels in Nowley, the median lot size is about 927,294 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
What is the population of Nowley?
At the 2021 Census Nowley had 50 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Narrabri Surrounds statistical area, which contains Nowley, went from 5,721 people in 2001 to 4,602 in 2025, down 20%.
Is Nowley an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Nowley scores 1058 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 9 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Nowley?
Median household income in Nowley was $2,125 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,624 for the typical suburb in Narrabri. Median rent was $45 a week.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Plains | 14.3 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Bulyeroi | 19.1 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Merah North | 25.0 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Boolcarroll | 27.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Burren Junction Walgett |
30.0 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Drildool | 30.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Rowena Walgett |
32.4 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Jews Lagoon | 32.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Mallowa Moree Plains |
35.9 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Millie Moree Plains |
38.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |