Rothbury zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Rothbury (Cessnock, NSW) - 12.67 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
12.67 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 Rothbury'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.
Rothbury at a glance
How Rothbury is zoned
Buying in Rothbury? 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 12.67 km², Rothbury 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. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production Small Lots. The median lot measures about 21,400 m² across 123 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 Rothbury
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Rothbury 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 1083, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Rothbury's 55 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Branxton - Greta - Pokolbin, the wider ABS statistical area containing Rothbury. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Rothbury itself.
7,490 in 2001 to 16,413 in 2025, up 119%.
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.
Rothbury 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 Rothbury 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 →Rothbury planning - frequently asked
Is Rothbury flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Rothbury, 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. Cessnock 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 Rothbury bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 99% of Rothbury is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Cessnock average of 91%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Rothbury?
The dominant planning zone in Rothbury is Primary Production Small Lots, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape and Large Lot Residential. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Rothbury have heritage-listed places?
Rothbury has 1 heritage-listed place 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 Rothbury?
Across 123 surveyed parcels in Rothbury, the median lot size is about 21,400 m².
Does Rothbury have a train station?
There is no train station inside Rothbury itself. The suburb is served by 4 bus stops.
What is the population of Rothbury?
At the 2021 Census Rothbury had 55 usual residents, with a median age of 55 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Branxton - Greta - Pokolbin statistical area, which contains Rothbury, went from 7,490 people in 2001 to 16,413 in 2025, up 119%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Rothbury alone.
Is Rothbury an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Rothbury scores 1083 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 9 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 Rothbury?
Median household income in Rothbury was $2,250 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,929 for the typical suburb in Cessnock. Median rent was $325 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,584 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Rothbury property?
A Rothbury 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 Rothbury | 2.1 km | Not mapped | 84% |
| Greta | 4.5 km | Not mapped | 89% |
| Lovedale | 6.1 km | Not mapped | 94% |
| Harpers Hill Maitland |
6.2 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| East Branxton | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 20% |
| Allandale | 6.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Belford Singleton |
6.6 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Oswald Maitland |
7.4 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Branxton Singleton |
7.8 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Pokolbin | 7.9 km | Not mapped | 86% |