Saltwater zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Saltwater
(Mid-Coast, NSW) - 5.63 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 26 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
5.63 km² - this suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Saltwater's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Saltwater
Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 26 Sep 2026
Night movements: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Saltwater at a glance
How Saltwater is zoned
Buying in Saltwater? 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 5.63 km², Saltwater 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, 98% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 22,248 m² across 20 parcels.
Who lives in Saltwater
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Saltwater 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 985, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Old Bar - Manning Point - Red Head, the wider ABS statistical area containing Saltwater. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Saltwater itself.
7,700 in 2001 to 13,450 in 2025, up 75%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Saltwater data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| 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 |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 26 September 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 Saltwater 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.
The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Saltwater lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Saltwater planning - frequently asked
Is Saltwater flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Saltwater, 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. Mid-Coast is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Saltwater bushfire-prone?
Around 98% of Saltwater is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Mid-Coast average of 94%.
Is Saltwater under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 4% of Saltwater in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 4,000 ft. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.
What is the zoning in Saltwater?
The dominant planning zone in Saltwater is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Environmental Conservation and Primary Production.
Does Saltwater have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Saltwater.
What is the typical lot size in Saltwater?
Across 20 surveyed parcels in Saltwater, the median lot size is about 22,248 m².
Is Saltwater an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Saltwater scores 985 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Beach | 2.5 km | Not mapped | 77% |
| Wallabi Point | 2.9 km | Not mapped | 92% |
| Koorainghat | 4.2 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Rainbow Flat | 5.0 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Old Bar | 5.5 km | Not mapped | 67% |
| Red Head | 5.6 km | Not mapped | 78% |
| Tallwoods Village | 6.0 km | Not mapped | 46% |
| Black Head | 7.1 km | Not mapped | 84% |
| Bohnock | 7.3 km | Not mapped | 19% |
| Hallidays Point | 8.0 km | Not mapped | 86% |