Scotts Head zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Scotts Head
(Nambucca Valley, NSW) - 6.68 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 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
6.68 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 Scotts Head'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 Scotts Head
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 2 Oct 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.
Scotts Head at a glance
How Scotts Head is zoned
Buying in Scotts Head? 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 6.68 km², Scotts Head 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, 87% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 628 m² across 679 parcels.
Who lives in Scotts Head
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Scotts Head 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 960, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Scotts Head's 986 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Macksville - Scotts Head, the wider ABS statistical area containing Scotts Head. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Scotts Head itself.
4,616 in 2001 to 5,383 in 2025, up 17%.
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.
Scotts Head 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 3 October 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 Scotts Head 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 Scotts Head lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Scotts Head planning - frequently asked
Is Scotts Head flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Scotts Head, 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. Nambucca Valley is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Scotts Head bushfire-prone?
Around 87% of Scotts Head is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Nambucca Valley average of 94%.
Is Scotts Head under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 4% of Scotts Head in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 5,500 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 Scotts Head?
The dominant planning zone in Scotts Head is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes General Residential and Public Recreation.
Does Scotts Head have heritage-listed places?
Scotts Head has 1 heritage-listed place on record.
What is the typical lot size in Scotts Head?
Across 679 surveyed parcels in Scotts Head, the median lot size is about 628 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Scotts Head have a train station?
There is no train station inside Scotts Head itself. The suburb is served by 8 bus stops.
What is the population of Scotts Head?
At the 2021 Census Scotts Head had 986 usual residents, with a median age of 54 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Macksville - Scotts Head statistical area, which contains Scotts Head, went from 4,616 people in 2001 to 5,383 in 2025, up 17%.
Is Scotts Head an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Scotts Head scores 960 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 4 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Scotts Head?
Median household income in Scotts Head was $1,212 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,042 for the typical suburb in Nambucca Valley. Median rent was $330 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,300 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gumma | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 93% |
| North Macksville | 5.0 km | Not mapped | 86% |
| Wirrimbi | 6.2 km | Not mapped | 89% |
| Nambucca Heads | 6.8 km | Not mapped | 78% |
| Macksville | 7.2 km | Not mapped | 59% |
| Grassy Head Kempsey |
8.7 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| Newee Creek | 9.0 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| Donnellyville | 9.1 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Congarinni North | 9.5 km | Not mapped | 94% |
| Hyland Park | 10.1 km | Not mapped | 96% |