Shoalhaven Heads zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Shoalhaven Heads
(Shoalhaven, NSW) - 4.11 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
4.11 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 Shoalhaven Heads'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 Shoalhaven Heads
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
typical observed square 2 a day
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.
Shoalhaven Heads at a glance
How Shoalhaven Heads is zoned
Buying in Shoalhaven Heads? 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 4.11 km², Shoalhaven Heads 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, 50% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 4 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 670 m² across 1,310 parcels.
Who lives in Shoalhaven Heads
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Shoalhaven Heads 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 958, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Shoalhaven Heads's 3,248 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Berry - Kangaroo Valley, the wider ABS statistical area containing Shoalhaven Heads. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Shoalhaven Heads itself.
8,112 in 2001 to 9,523 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.
Shoalhaven Heads 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 Shoalhaven Heads 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.
Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 73% of Shoalhaven Heads. 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 Shoalhaven Heads lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Shoalhaven Heads planning - frequently asked
Is Shoalhaven Heads flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Shoalhaven Heads, 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. Shoalhaven is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Shoalhaven Heads bushfire-prone?
Around 50% of Shoalhaven Heads is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%.
Is Shoalhaven Heads under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 73% of Shoalhaven Heads, and over about 81% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 1,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 5 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. 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 Shoalhaven Heads?
The dominant planning zone in Shoalhaven Heads is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Recreational Waterways.
Does Shoalhaven Heads have heritage-listed places?
Shoalhaven Heads has 4 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Shoalhaven Heads?
Across 1,310 surveyed parcels in Shoalhaven Heads, the median lot size is about 670 m². There are also 5 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Shoalhaven Heads have a train station?
There is no train station inside Shoalhaven Heads itself. The suburb is served by 108 bus stops.
What is the population of Shoalhaven Heads?
At the 2021 Census Shoalhaven Heads had 3,248 usual residents, with a median age of 56 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Berry - Kangaroo Valley statistical area, which contains Shoalhaven Heads, went from 8,112 people in 2001 to 9,523 in 2025, up 17%.
Is Shoalhaven Heads an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Shoalhaven Heads scores 958 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Shoalhaven Heads?
Median household income in Shoalhaven Heads was $1,066 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $365 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,950 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coolangatta | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 88% |
| Comerong Island | 3.8 km | Not mapped | 80% |
| Far Meadow | 4.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Numbaa | 5.2 km | Not mapped | 88% |
| Back Forest | 5.4 km | Not mapped | 97% |
| Berry | 5.7 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| Orient Point | 6.8 km | Not mapped | 60% |
| Greenwell Point | 6.9 km | Not mapped | 31% |
| Culburra Beach | 8.0 km | Not mapped | 71% |
| Pyree | 8.4 km | Not mapped | 98% |