South Bowenfels zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of South Bowenfels
(Lithgow City, NSW) - 30.73 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
30.73 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 South Bowenfels'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 South Bowenfels
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 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 7,000 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.
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.
South Bowenfels at a glance
How South Bowenfels is zoned
Buying in South Bowenfels? 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 30.73 km², South Bowenfels 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, 95% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 31 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 1,813 m² across 687 parcels.
Who lives in South Bowenfels
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the South Bowenfels 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 1005, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of South Bowenfels's 1,326 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Lithgow, the wider ABS statistical area containing South Bowenfels. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than South Bowenfels itself.
12,829 in 2001 to 12,124 in 2025, down 5%.
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.
South Bowenfels 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 South Bowenfels 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 South Bowenfels lot.
See what's in the $9 report →South Bowenfels planning - frequently asked
Is South Bowenfels flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering South Bowenfels, 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. Lithgow City is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is South Bowenfels bushfire-prone?
Around 95% of South Bowenfels is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lithgow City average of 92%.
Is South Bowenfels under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 40% of South Bowenfels 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 South Bowenfels?
The dominant planning zone in South Bowenfels is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape and Large Lot Residential.
Does South Bowenfels have heritage-listed places?
South Bowenfels has 31 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in South Bowenfels?
Across 687 surveyed parcels in South Bowenfels, the median lot size is about 1,813 m². There are also 7 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does South Bowenfels have a train station?
There is no train station inside South Bowenfels itself. The suburb is served by 10 bus stops.
What is the population of South Bowenfels?
At the 2021 Census South Bowenfels had 1,326 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Lithgow statistical area, which contains South Bowenfels, went from 12,829 people in 2001 to 12,124 in 2025, down 5%.
Is South Bowenfels an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), South Bowenfels scores 1005 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in South Bowenfels?
Median household income in South Bowenfels was $1,608 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,390 for the typical suburb in Lithgow City. Median rent was $370 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Littleton | 3.2 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Littleton | 3.6 km | Not mapped | 52% |
| Hassans Walls | 3.9 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Bowenfels | 4.3 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Sheedys Gully | 4.5 km | Not mapped | 94% |
| Hartley | 5.3 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Pottery Estate | 5.4 km | Not mapped | 51% |
| Hermitage Flat | 5.5 km | Not mapped | 68% |
| Lithgow | 6.2 km | Not mapped | 36% |
| Rydal | 6.2 km | Not mapped | 97% |