Riverside zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Riverside (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 14.33 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
14.33 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 Riverside'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.
Riverside at a glance
How Riverside is zoned
Buying in Riverside? 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 14.33 km², Riverside 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, 78% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 776 m² across 226 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 Riverside
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Riverside 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 1006, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Riverside's 298 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Port Macquarie Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Riverside. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Riverside itself.
5,244 in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%.
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.
Riverside 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 Riverside 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 →Riverside planning - frequently asked
Is Riverside flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Riverside, 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 Riverside bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 78% of Riverside 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 Riverside?
The dominant planning zone in Riverside is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Natural Waterways. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Riverside have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Riverside. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Riverside?
Across 226 surveyed parcels in Riverside, the median lot size is about 776 m². There are also 1 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.
What is the population of Riverside?
At the 2021 Census Riverside had 298 usual residents, with a median age of 53 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Port Macquarie Surrounds statistical area, which contains Riverside, went from 5,244 people in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Riverside alone.
Is Riverside an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Riverside scores 1006 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 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 Riverside?
Median household income in Riverside was $1,461 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,381 for the typical suburb in Port Macquarie-Hastings. Median rent was $415 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,647 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Riverside property?
A Riverside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Shore | 3.2 km | Not mapped | 88% |
| Blackmans Point | 3.6 km | Not mapped | 87% |
| Fernbank Creek | 4.1 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| The Hatch | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Limeburners Creek | 7.0 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Thrumster | 7.7 km | Not mapped | 86% |
| Port Macquarie | 7.9 km | Not mapped | 52% |
| Rawdon Island | 8.1 km | Not mapped | 82% |
| Hacks Ferry | 8.3 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Sancrox | 8.8 km | Not mapped | 92% |