Nowra zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Nowra
(Shoalhaven, NSW) - 9.03 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is moderately 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
9.03 km² - this suburb is moderately 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 Nowra's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Nowra
Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 26 Sep 2026
typical observed square 2 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 500 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Nowra at a glance
How Nowra is zoned
Buying in Nowra? 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 9.03 km², Nowra 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, 31% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 99 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 684 m² across 4,910 parcels.
Who lives in Nowra
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Nowra 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 834, and decile 1 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Nowra's 9,956 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Nowra, the wider ABS statistical area containing Nowra. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Nowra itself.
14,125 in 2001 to 23,716 in 2025, up 68%.
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.
Nowra 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 | Observed | 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 Nowra 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.
Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 61% of Nowra. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Nowra lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Nowra planning - frequently asked
Is Nowra flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Nowra, 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.
Is Nowra bushfire-prone?
Around 31% of Nowra is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%.
Is Nowra under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 61% of Nowra, and over about 67% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 26 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 5 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.
What is the zoning in Nowra?
The dominant planning zone in Nowra is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and General Residential.
Does Nowra have heritage-listed places?
Nowra has 99 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Nowra?
Across 4,910 surveyed parcels in Nowra, the median lot size is about 684 m². There are also 8 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Nowra have a train station?
There is no train station inside Nowra itself. The suburb is served by 243 bus stops.
What is the population of Nowra?
At the 2021 Census Nowra had 9,956 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Nowra statistical area, which contains Nowra, went from 14,125 people in 2001 to 23,716 in 2025, up 68%.
Is Nowra an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Nowra scores 834 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Nowra?
Median household income in Nowra was $1,037 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,500 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Nowra | 2.1 km | Not mapped | 84% |
| Terara | 2.3 km | Not mapped | 81% |
| South Nowra | 3.4 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Bomaderry | 3.7 km | Not mapped | 43% |
| North Nowra | 4.2 km | Not mapped | 76% |
| Mundamia | 4.3 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Worrigee | 4.7 km | Not mapped | 85% |
| Brundee | 4.8 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Bolong | 5.9 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Badagarang | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 82% |