South Nowra zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of South Nowra
(Shoalhaven, NSW) - 8.95 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 26 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
8.95 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 Nowra'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 Nowra
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 26 Sep 2026
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 500 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 Nowra at a glance
How South Nowra is zoned
Buying in South Nowra? 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 8.95 km², South Nowra 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, 72% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is General Industrial. The median lot measures about 703 m² across 1,703 parcels.
Who lives in South Nowra
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the South Nowra 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 984, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of South Nowra's 3,165 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Nowra, the wider ABS statistical area containing South Nowra. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than South Nowra itself.
14,125 in 2001 to 23,716 in 2025, up 68%.
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 Nowra 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 26 September 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 Nowra 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 84% of South Nowra. 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 Nowra lot.
See what's in the $9 report →South Nowra planning - frequently asked
Is South Nowra flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering South Nowra, 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 South Nowra bushfire-prone?
Around 72% of South Nowra is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%.
Is South Nowra under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 84% of South Nowra, and over about 92% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 26 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 1,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 7 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 South Nowra?
The dominant planning zone in South Nowra is General Industrial, though the suburb also includes General Residential and Productivity Support.
Does South Nowra have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within South Nowra.
What is the typical lot size in South Nowra?
Across 1,703 surveyed parcels in South Nowra, the median lot size is about 703 m². There are also 8 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does South Nowra have a train station?
There is no train station inside South Nowra itself. The suburb is served by 85 bus stops.
What is the population of South Nowra?
At the 2021 Census South Nowra had 3,165 usual residents, with a median age of 33 and an average household size of 2.8 people. The wider Nowra statistical area, which contains South Nowra, went from 14,125 people in 2001 to 23,716 in 2025, up 68%.
Is South Nowra an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), South Nowra scores 984 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in South Nowra?
Median household income in South Nowra was $1,789 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $398 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,000 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nowra | 3.4 km | Not mapped | 31% |
| West Nowra | 3.5 km | Not mapped | 84% |
| Nowra Hill | 3.5 km | Not mapped | 88% |
| Worrigee | 4.0 km | Not mapped | 85% |
| Mundamia | 4.2 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Terara | 5.4 km | Not mapped | 81% |
| Brundee | 6.0 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| North Nowra | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 76% |
| Mayfield | 6.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Bomaderry | 7.0 km | Not mapped | 43% |