Oak Flats flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Oak Flats (Shellharbour, NSW) - 3.74 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
3.74 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Oak Flats's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Oak Flats at a glance
How Oak Flats is zoned
Buying in Oak Flats? 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 3.74 km², Oak Flats is moderately constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 13% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 8 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 697 m² across 2,758 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 Oak Flats
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Oak Flats 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 951, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Oak Flats's 6,840 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Shellharbour - Oak Flats, the wider ABS statistical area containing Oak Flats. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Oak Flats itself.
10,170 in 2001 to 11,007 in 2025, up 8%.
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.
Oak Flats 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.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | 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 |
| Demographics | Available | Australian 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 Oak Flats 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 →Oak Flats planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Oak Flats?
The schematic on this page is a Oak Flats flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Oak Flats address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Oak Flats flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Oak Flats and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Oak Flats bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 13% of Oak Flats is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shellharbour average of 47%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Oak Flats?
The dominant planning zone in Oak Flats is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Oak Flats have heritage-listed places?
Oak Flats has 8 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 Oak Flats?
Across 2,758 surveyed parcels in Oak Flats, the median lot size is about 697 m². There are also 8 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 Oak Flats have a train station?
Yes - Oak Flats has 1 train station: Oak Flats Station. It is also served by 94 bus stops.
What is the population of Oak Flats?
At the 2021 Census Oak Flats had 6,840 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Shellharbour - Oak Flats statistical area, which contains Oak Flats, went from 10,170 people in 2001 to 11,007 in 2025, up 8%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Oak Flats alone.
Is Oak Flats an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Oak Flats scores 951 and sits in decile 3 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 Oak Flats?
Median household income in Oak Flats was $1,488 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,718 for the typical suburb in Shellharbour. Median rent was $440 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,950 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Oak Flats property?
An Oak Flats 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 suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shellharbour City Centre | 1.4 km | Not mapped | 5% |
| Blackbutt | 1.5 km | Not mapped | 57% |
| Mount Warrigal | 2.5 km | 0% | 7% |
| Albion Park Rail | 2.8 km | 0% | 34% |
| Haywards Bay Wollongong |
3.1 km | 0% | 64% |
| Flinders | 3.1 km | Not mapped | 16% |
| Barrack Heights | 3.1 km | Not mapped | 12% |
| Croom | 3.6 km | Not mapped | 93% |
| Warilla | 3.8 km | 0% | <1% |
| Shellharbour | 4.0 km | Not mapped | 20% |