Swan Bay zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Swan Bay (Port Stephens, NSW) - 32.23 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
32.23 km² - this suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Swan Bay's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Swan Bay at a glance
How Swan Bay is zoned
Buying in Swan Bay? 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 32.23 km², Swan Bay 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, 99% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 14,809 m² across 259 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 Swan Bay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Swan Bay 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 923, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Swan Bay's 310 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah, the wider ABS statistical area containing Swan Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Swan Bay itself.
10,830 in 2001 to 17,178 in 2025, up 59%.
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.
Swan Bay 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 | 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 |
| 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 Swan Bay 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 →Swan Bay planning - frequently asked
Is Swan Bay flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Swan Bay, 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. Port Stephens is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Swan Bay bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 99% of Swan Bay is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Stephens average of 82%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Swan Bay?
The dominant planning zone in Swan Bay is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Swan Bay have heritage-listed places?
Swan Bay has 1 heritage-listed place 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 Swan Bay?
Across 259 surveyed parcels in Swan Bay, the median lot size is about 14,809 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.
Does Swan Bay have a train station?
There is no train station inside Swan Bay itself. The suburb is served by 4 bus stops.
What is the population of Swan Bay?
At the 2021 Census Swan Bay had 310 usual residents, with a median age of 52 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah statistical area, which contains Swan Bay, went from 10,830 people in 2001 to 17,178 in 2025, up 59%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Swan Bay alone.
Is Swan Bay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Swan Bay scores 923 and sits in decile 2 of 10 nationally and decile 2 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 Swan Bay?
Median household income in Swan Bay was $1,156 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,421 for the typical suburb in Port Stephens. Median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,400 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Swan Bay property?
A Swan Bay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oyster Cove | 4.8 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Tanilba Bay | 6.1 km | Not mapped | 86% |
| Tahlee Mid-Coast |
6.4 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Medowie | 7.1 km | Not mapped | 79% |
| Mallabula | 7.5 km | Not mapped | 83% |
| Karuah | 7.8 km | Not mapped | 89% |
| Carrington Mid-Coast |
7.9 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Tilligerry Creek | 8.0 km | Not mapped | 28% |
| Lemon Tree Passage | 8.8 km | Not mapped | 69% |
| Twelve Mile Creek | 9.5 km | Not mapped | 100% |