Silverwater zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Silverwater (Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 0.92 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.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Silverwater'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 Silverwater

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.

Silverwater at a glance

Parcels 152 Median lot 743 m² Bus stops 6

How Silverwater is zoned

Environmental Conservation 82%
Low Density Residential 18%
Natural Waterways 0%
Primary Production Small Lots 0%
Environmental Management 0%

Buying in Silverwater? 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 0.92 km², Silverwater 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, 91% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 743 m² across 152 parcels.

Who lives in Silverwater

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Silverwater suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
274
usual residents, 2021
Median age
51
years
Median household income
$1,387
per week, Lake Macquarie suburb typical $1,636
Median rent
$380
per week, Lake Macquarie suburb typical $390
Median mortgage
$1,625
per month
Household size
2.4
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 2
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 926, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 2
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Silverwater's 274 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.5%
5-14 10.5%
15-19 4.9%
20-24 5.3%
25-34 9.5%
35-44 7.4%
45-54 10.2%
55-64 17.9%
65-74 19.3%
75-84 9.1%
85+ 3.5%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Bonnells Bay - Silverwater, the wider ABS statistical area containing Silverwater. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Silverwater itself.

7,450 in 2001 to 10,266 in 2025, up 38%.

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.

Silverwater data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Silverwater 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 37% of Silverwater. 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 Silverwater lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Silverwater planning - frequently asked

Is Silverwater flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Silverwater, 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. Lake Macquarie is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Silverwater bushfire-prone?

Around 91% of Silverwater is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lake Macquarie average of 65%.

Is Silverwater under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 37% of Silverwater, and over about 62% 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 1,500 ft, with an average of 3,500 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 Silverwater?

The dominant planning zone in Silverwater is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Natural Waterways.

Does Silverwater have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Silverwater.

What is the typical lot size in Silverwater?

Across 152 surveyed parcels in Silverwater, the median lot size is about 743 m².

Does Silverwater have a train station?

There is no train station inside Silverwater itself. The suburb is served by 6 bus stops.

What is the population of Silverwater?

At the 2021 Census Silverwater had 274 usual residents, with a median age of 51 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Bonnells Bay - Silverwater statistical area, which contains Silverwater, went from 7,450 people in 2001 to 10,266 in 2025, up 38%.

Is Silverwater an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Silverwater scores 926 and sits in decile 2 of 10 nationally and decile 2 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Silverwater?

Median household income in Silverwater was $1,387 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $380 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,625 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Sunshine 1.0 km 2% 80%
Mirrabooka 1.0 km <1% 72%
Balcolyn 1.1 km Not mapped 37%
Yarrawonga Park 1.2 km Not mapped 80%
Brightwaters 1.6 km <1% 75%
Windermere Park 2.9 km Not mapped 33%
Point Wolstoncroft
Central Coast
3.0 km 29% 100%
Morisset Park 3.0 km 5% 33%
Bonnells Bay 3.5 km 2% 54%
Summerland Point
Central Coast
4.2 km 22% 70%

See all Lake Macquarie suburb profiles →