Salamander Bay zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Salamander Bay (Port Stephens, NSW) - 8.36 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
8.36 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 Salamander Bay'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.
Salamander Bay at a glance
How Salamander Bay is zoned
Buying in Salamander Bay? 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 8.36 km², Salamander Bay 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, 75% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 678 m² across 2,089 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 Salamander Bay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Salamander Bay 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 952, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Salamander Bay's 4,991 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Nelson Bay Peninsula, the wider ABS statistical area containing Salamander Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Salamander Bay itself.
17,533 in 2001 to 22,156 in 2025, up 26%.
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.
Salamander Bay 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 Salamander Bay 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 →Salamander Bay planning - frequently asked
Is Salamander Bay flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Salamander Bay, 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 Salamander Bay bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 75% of Salamander Bay 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 Salamander Bay?
The dominant planning zone in Salamander Bay is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Salamander Bay have heritage-listed places?
Salamander Bay 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 Salamander Bay?
Across 2,089 surveyed parcels in Salamander Bay, the median lot size is about 678 m². There are also 8 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 Salamander Bay have a train station?
There is no train station inside Salamander Bay itself. The suburb is served by 105 bus stops.
What is the population of Salamander Bay?
At the 2021 Census Salamander Bay had 4,991 usual residents, with a median age of 57 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Nelson Bay Peninsula statistical area, which contains Salamander Bay, went from 17,533 people in 2001 to 22,156 in 2025, up 26%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Salamander Bay alone.
Is Salamander Bay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Salamander Bay scores 952 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 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 Salamander Bay?
Median household income in Salamander Bay was $1,107 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,421 for the typical suburb in Port Stephens. Median rent was $380 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,733 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Salamander Bay property?
A Salamander Bay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylors Beach | 2.4 km | Not mapped | 97% |
| Corlette | 2.4 km | Not mapped | 44% |
| Soldiers Point | 3.4 km | Not mapped | 23% |
| Port Stephens | 3.7 km | Not mapped | 4% |
| Anna Bay | 4.4 km | Not mapped | 76% |
| Nelson Bay | 4.4 km | Not mapped | 79% |
| One Mile | 4.8 km | Not mapped | 83% |
| Lemon Tree Passage | 5.5 km | Not mapped | 69% |
| Fishermans Bay | 6.3 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Boat Harbour | 6.5 km | Not mapped | 78% |