Nowra Hill zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Nowra Hill
(Shoalhaven, NSW) - 35.51 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
35.51 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 Nowra Hill's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Amber hatching is the published aircraft noise (ANEF) contour. 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 Hill
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.
Inside an aircraft noise contour
32% of the suburb's land sits inside a published ANEF or airport-environs contour. Contours vary street by street, so whether a particular lot is inside one needs a property-level check.
Highest contour present
Under AS 2021, land at ANEF 30 and above is generally unacceptable for new houses and most noise-sensitive uses. The contour is a forecast, not a measurement at any one house.
Contours held
- Defence Airfields ANEF
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 Hill at a glance
How Nowra Hill is zoned
Buying in Nowra Hill? 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 35.51 km², Nowra Hill 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, 88% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 16,830 m² across 517 parcels.
Who lives in Nowra Hill
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Nowra Hill 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 995, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Nowra Hill's 2,141 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Nowra, the wider ABS statistical area containing Nowra Hill. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Nowra Hill 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 Hill 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) | Inside a held contour | 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 Hill 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 95% of Nowra Hill. 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 Hill lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Nowra Hill planning - frequently asked
Is Nowra Hill flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Nowra Hill, 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 Hill bushfire-prone?
Around 88% of Nowra Hill is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%.
Is Nowra Hill affected by aircraft noise?
About 32% of Nowra Hill sits inside a published aircraft noise contour, and the highest contour present is ANEF 35 - under AS 2021, land above ANEF 25 is generally considered unacceptable for new houses, and 20-25 conditionally acceptable with noise attenuation. ANEF contours are forecasts published per airport and used to control noise-sensitive development; they are not a measurement at any one house, and a property can sit under a flight path and outside every contour.
Is Nowra Hill under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 95% of Nowra Hill, and over about 96% 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 1,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 53 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 Hill?
The dominant planning zone in Nowra Hill is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes Special Activities and Large Lot Residential.
Does Nowra Hill have heritage-listed places?
Nowra Hill has 2 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Nowra Hill?
Across 517 surveyed parcels in Nowra Hill, the median lot size is about 16,830 m². There are also 16 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Nowra Hill have a train station?
There is no train station inside Nowra Hill itself. The suburb is served by 62 bus stops.
What is the population of Nowra Hill?
At the 2021 Census Nowra Hill had 2,141 usual residents, with a median age of 37 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Nowra statistical area, which contains Nowra Hill, went from 14,125 people in 2001 to 23,716 in 2025, up 68%.
Is Nowra Hill an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Nowra Hill scores 995 and sits in decile 6 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Nowra Hill?
Median household income in Nowra Hill was $1,902 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $285 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Nowra | 3.5 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Parma | 4.5 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| Mundamia | 5.0 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Bamarang | 5.5 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| West Nowra | 5.9 km | Not mapped | 84% |
| Nowra | 6.7 km | Not mapped | 31% |
| Worrigee | 6.9 km | Not mapped | 85% |
| Falls Creek | 7.4 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Longreach | 7.8 km | Not mapped | 95% |
| North Nowra | 8.4 km | Not mapped | 76% |