Oyster Cove zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Oyster Cove (Port Stephens, NSW) - 6.13 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
6.13 km² - this suburb is highly 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 Oyster Cove'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.
Oyster Cove at a glance
How Oyster Cove is zoned
Buying in Oyster Cove? 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 6.13 km², Oyster Cove 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, 99% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 4,875 m² across 76 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 Oyster Cove
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Oyster Cove 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 921, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Oyster Cove's 91 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah, the wider ABS statistical area containing Oyster Cove. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Oyster Cove itself.
10,830 in 2001 to 17,178 in 2025, up 59%.
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.
Oyster Cove 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 | 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 |
| 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 Oyster Cove 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 →Oyster Cove planning - frequently asked
Is Oyster Cove flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Oyster Cove, 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. Port Stephens 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 Oyster Cove bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 99% of Oyster Cove is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Stephens average of 82%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Oyster Cove?
The dominant planning zone in Oyster Cove is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape and Environmental Management. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Oyster Cove have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Oyster Cove. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Oyster Cove?
Across 76 surveyed parcels in Oyster Cove, the median lot size is about 4,875 m². There are also 6 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 Oyster Cove have a train station?
There is no train station inside Oyster Cove itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops.
What is the population of Oyster Cove?
At the 2021 Census Oyster Cove had 91 usual residents, with a median age of 56 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah statistical area, which contains Oyster Cove, went from 10,830 people in 2001 to 17,178 in 2025, up 59%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Oyster Cove alone.
Is Oyster Cove an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Oyster Cove scores 921 and sits in decile 2 of 10 nationally and decile 2 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 Oyster Cove?
Median household income in Oyster Cove was $1,187 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,421 for the typical suburb in Port Stephens. Median rent was $228 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,600 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Oyster Cove property?
An Oyster Cove 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanilba Bay | 3.0 km | Not mapped | 86% |
| Tilligerry Creek | 3.8 km | Not mapped | 28% |
| Swan Bay | 4.8 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Medowie | 5.6 km | Not mapped | 79% |
| Mallabula | 6.1 km | Not mapped | 83% |
| Bobs Farm | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 79% |
| Salt Ash | 6.5 km | 0% | 84% |
| Lemon Tree Passage | 7.6 km | Not mapped | 69% |
| Tahlee Mid-Coast |
10.0 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Campvale | 10.0 km | 0% | 99% |