Swansea Heads zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Swansea Heads (Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 0.93 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
0.93 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 Swansea Heads'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.
Swansea Heads at a glance
How Swansea Heads is zoned
Buying in Swansea Heads? 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 0.93 km², Swansea Heads 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, 86% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 659 m² across 304 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 Swansea Heads
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Swansea Heads 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 1042, and decile 8 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Swansea Heads's 609 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Swansea - Caves Beach, the wider ABS statistical area containing Swansea Heads. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Swansea Heads itself.
11,100 in 2001 to 13,147 in 2025, up 18%.
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.
Swansea Heads 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 Swansea Heads 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 →Swansea Heads planning - frequently asked
Is Swansea Heads flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Swansea Heads, 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. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Swansea Heads bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 86% of Swansea Heads is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lake Macquarie average of 65%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Swansea Heads?
The dominant planning zone in Swansea Heads is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Natural Waterways. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Swansea Heads have heritage-listed places?
Swansea Heads has 3 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 Swansea Heads?
Across 304 surveyed parcels in Swansea Heads, the median lot size is about 659 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 Swansea Heads have a train station?
There is no train station inside Swansea Heads itself. The suburb is served by 9 bus stops.
What is the population of Swansea Heads?
At the 2021 Census Swansea Heads had 609 usual residents, with a median age of 46 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Swansea - Caves Beach statistical area, which contains Swansea Heads, went from 11,100 people in 2001 to 13,147 in 2025, up 18%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Swansea Heads alone.
Is Swansea Heads an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Swansea Heads scores 1042 and sits in decile 9 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 Swansea Heads?
Median household income in Swansea Heads was $2,083 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 $1,992 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Swansea Heads property?
A Swansea Heads 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swansea | 1.7 km | Not mapped | 39% |
| Blacksmiths | 1.9 km | Not mapped | 45% |
| Little Pelican | 2.1 km | Not mapped | 33% |
| Caves Beach | 2.3 km | Not mapped | 50% |
| Pelican | 2.7 km | Not mapped | 53% |
| Pinny Beach | 3.4 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Marks Point | 3.8 km | Not mapped | 37% |
| Belmont South | 4.4 km | Not mapped | 67% |
| Murrays Beach | 4.5 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Lake Macquarie | 4.9 km | Not mapped | 5% |