Port Kembla flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Port Kembla (Wollongong, NSW) - 15.83 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
15.83 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Port Kembla'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.
Port Kembla at a glance
How Port Kembla is zoned
Buying in Port Kembla? 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 15.83 km², Port Kembla is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 4% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 12% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 22 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Heavy Industrial. The median lot measures about 627 m² across 2,359 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 Port Kembla
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Port Kembla 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 933, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Port Kembla's 5,088 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Port Kembla Industrial, the wider ABS statistical area containing Port Kembla. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Port Kembla itself.
30 in 2001 to 7 in 2025, down 77%.
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.
Port Kembla 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 Port Kembla 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 →Port Kembla planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Port Kembla?
The schematic on this page is a Port Kembla flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 4% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Port Kembla address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Port Kembla flood-prone?
About 4% of Port Kembla falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 4%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Port Kembla bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 12% of Port Kembla is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Wollongong average of 56%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Port Kembla?
The dominant planning zone in Port Kembla is Heavy Industrial, though the suburb also includes Special Activities and Enterprise. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Port Kembla have heritage-listed places?
Port Kembla has 22 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 Port Kembla?
Across 2,359 surveyed parcels in Port Kembla, the median lot size is about 627 m². There are also 17 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 Port Kembla have a train station?
Yes - Port Kembla has 4 train stations: Cringila Station, Lysaghts Station, Port Kembla North Station, Port Kembla Station. It is also served by 99 bus stops.
What is the population of Port Kembla?
At the 2021 Census Port Kembla had 5,088 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Port Kembla Industrial statistical area, which contains Port Kembla, went from 30 people in 2001 to 7 in 2025, down 77%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Port Kembla alone.
Is Port Kembla an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Port Kembla scores 933 and sits in decile 3 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 Port Kembla?
Median household income in Port Kembla was $1,308 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $340 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 Port Kembla property?
A Port Kembla 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrawong | 2.1 km | 0% | 2% |
| Cringila | 2.6 km | 0% | 59% |
| Lake Heights | 2.9 km | 0% | 2% |
| Spring Hill | 3.2 km | 10% | 0% |
| Coniston | 3.9 km | 42% | 10% |
| Mount Saint Thomas | 4.1 km | 18% | 15% |
| Primbee | 4.2 km | 0% | 45% |
| Unanderra | 4.6 km | 0% | 17% |
| Mangerton | 4.7 km | 9% | 23% |
| Wollongong | 4.8 km | 29% | <1% |