The Hatch zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of The Hatch (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 12.69 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
12.69 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 The Hatch'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.
The Hatch at a glance
How The Hatch is zoned
Buying in The Hatch? 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 12.69 km², The Hatch 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. The dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 20,947 m² across 52 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 The Hatch
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the The Hatch 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 930, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Port Macquarie Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing The Hatch. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than The Hatch itself.
5,244 in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%.
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.
The Hatch 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 The Hatch 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 →The Hatch planning - frequently asked
Is The Hatch flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering The Hatch, 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 Macquarie-Hastings 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 The Hatch bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 99% of The Hatch is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Macquarie-Hastings average of 93%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in The Hatch?
The dominant planning zone in The Hatch is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Forestry and Natural Waterways. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does The Hatch have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within The Hatch. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in The Hatch?
Across 52 surveyed parcels in The Hatch, the median lot size is about 20,947 m². There are also 1 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.
Is The Hatch an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), The Hatch scores 930 and sits in decile 3 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.
Do I need a planning report for a The Hatch property?
A The Hatch 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hacks Ferry | 3.2 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Blackmans Point | 3.9 km | Not mapped | 87% |
| Telegraph Point | 5.1 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Riverside | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 78% |
| Rawdon Island | 7.1 km | Not mapped | 82% |
| Pembrooke | 7.2 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Fernbank Creek | 7.4 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Limeburners Creek | 8.2 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| North Shore | 9.1 km | Not mapped | 88% |
| Sancrox | 9.1 km | Not mapped | 92% |