Port Macquarie zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Port Macquarie (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 54.22 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
54.22 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 Port Macquarie'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.
Port Macquarie at a glance
How Port Macquarie is zoned
Buying in Port Macquarie? 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 54.22 km², Port Macquarie 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, 52% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 83 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is General Residential. The median lot measures about 676 m² across 17,215 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 Macquarie
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Port Macquarie 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 969, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Port Macquarie's 47,693 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Port Macquarie - West, the wider ABS statistical area containing Port Macquarie. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Port Macquarie itself.
12,360 in 2001 to 23,991 in 2025, up 94%.
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 Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie 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 Macquarie planning - frequently asked
Is Port Macquarie flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Port Macquarie, 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 Macquarie-Hastings 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 Port Macquarie bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 52% of Port Macquarie is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Macquarie-Hastings average of 93%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Port Macquarie?
The dominant planning zone in Port Macquarie is General Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Conservation and National Parks and Nature Reserves. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Port Macquarie have heritage-listed places?
Port Macquarie has 83 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 Macquarie?
Across 17,215 surveyed parcels in Port Macquarie, the median lot size is about 676 m². There are also 59 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 Macquarie have a train station?
There is no train station inside Port Macquarie itself. The suburb is served by 689 bus stops and 2 ferry terminals.
What is the population of Port Macquarie?
At the 2021 Census Port Macquarie had 47,693 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Port Macquarie - West statistical area, which contains Port Macquarie, went from 12,360 people in 2001 to 23,991 in 2025, up 94%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Port Macquarie alone.
Is Port Macquarie an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Port Macquarie scores 969 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 4 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 Macquarie?
Median household income in Port Macquarie was $1,282 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,381 for the typical suburb in Port Macquarie-Hastings. Median rent was $380 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,751 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Port Macquarie property?
A Port Macquarie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thrumster | 5.3 km | Not mapped | 86% |
| Fernbank Creek | 6.7 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| North Shore | 7.8 km | Not mapped | 88% |
| Riverside | 7.9 km | Not mapped | 78% |
| Lake Innes | 9.2 km | Not mapped | 87% |
| Blackmans Point | 9.9 km | Not mapped | 87% |
| Sancrox | 9.9 km | Not mapped | 92% |
| Lake Cathie | 10.9 km | Not mapped | 85% |
| Rawdon Island | 11.0 km | Not mapped | 82% |
| The Hatch | 13.6 km | Not mapped | 99% |