Skennars Head flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Skennars Head (Ballina, NSW) - 7.5 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
7.5 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Skennars Head's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Skennars Head at a glance
How Skennars Head is zoned
Buying in Skennars 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 7.5 km², Skennars Head is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 86% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Deferred Matter. The median lot measures about 695 m² across 632 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 Skennars Head
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Skennars 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 1040, and decile 8 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Skennars Head's 1,303 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Lennox Head - Skennars Head, the wider ABS statistical area containing Skennars Head. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Skennars Head itself.
6,134 in 2001 to 10,282 in 2025, up 68%.
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.
Skennars Head 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 | 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 Skennars 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.
See what's in the $9 report →Skennars Head planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Skennars Head?
The schematic on this page is a Skennars Head flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Skennars Head address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Skennars Head flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Skennars Head and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Skennars Head bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 86% of Skennars Head is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Ballina average of 72%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Skennars Head?
The dominant planning zone in Skennars Head is Deferred Matter, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape and Primary Production. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Skennars Head have heritage-listed places?
Skennars Head has 2 heritage-listed places 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 Skennars Head?
Across 632 surveyed parcels in Skennars Head, the median lot size is about 695 m².
Does Skennars Head have a train station?
There is no train station inside Skennars Head itself. The suburb is served by 4 bus stops.
What is the population of Skennars Head?
At the 2021 Census Skennars Head had 1,303 usual residents, with a median age of 47 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Lennox Head - Skennars Head statistical area, which contains Skennars Head, went from 6,134 people in 2001 to 10,282 in 2025, up 68%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Skennars Head alone.
Is Skennars Head an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Skennars Head scores 1040 and sits in decile 8 of 10 nationally and decile 8 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 Skennars Head?
Median household income in Skennars Head was $1,674 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,812 for the typical suburb in Ballina. Median rent was $550 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,297 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Skennars Head property?
A Skennars Head 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballina | 2.4 km | 0% | 60% |
| East Ballina | 2.9 km | 0% | 50% |
| Lennox Head | 4.6 km | Not mapped | 77% |
| Cumbalum | 5.7 km | 0% | 76% |
| South Ballina | 5.9 km | 0% | 64% |
| Kinvara | 5.9 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| West Ballina | 7.5 km | 0% | 74% |
| Keith Hall | 7.8 km | 0% | 90% |
| Tintenbar | 8.9 km | Not mapped | 77% |
| Knockrow | 9.2 km | Not mapped | 59% |