Watsons Bay zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Watsons Bay (Woollahra, NSW) - 0.62 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is moderately 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
0.62 km² - this suburb is moderately 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 Watsons 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.
Watsons Bay at a glance
How Watsons Bay is zoned
Buying in Watsons 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 0.62 km², Watsons Bay is moderately 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. There are 53 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Infrastructure. The median lot measures about 418 m² across 260 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 Watsons Bay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Watsons 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 1160, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Watsons Bay's 883 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay, the wider ABS statistical area containing Watsons Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Watsons Bay itself.
11,933 in 2001 to 11,846 in 2025, down 1%.
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.
Watsons 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 Watsons 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 →Watsons Bay planning - frequently asked
Is Watsons Bay flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Watsons 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. Woollahra 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 Watsons Bay bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Watsons Bay and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone. Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.
What is the zoning in Watsons Bay?
The dominant planning zone in Watsons Bay is Infrastructure, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Low Density Residential. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Watsons Bay have heritage-listed places?
Watsons Bay has 53 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 Watsons Bay?
Across 260 surveyed parcels in Watsons Bay, the median lot size is about 418 m². There are also 2 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 Watsons Bay have a train station?
There is no train station inside Watsons Bay itself. The suburb is served by 10 bus stops.
What is the population of Watsons Bay?
At the 2021 Census Watsons Bay had 883 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay statistical area, which contains Watsons Bay, went from 11,933 people in 2001 to 11,846 in 2025, down 1%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Watsons Bay alone.
Is Watsons Bay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Watsons Bay scores 1160 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 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 Watsons Bay?
Median household income in Watsons Bay was $2,924 a week at the 2021 Census, against $3,104 for the typical suburb in Woollahra. Median rent was $674 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,384 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Watsons Bay property?
A Watsons 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaucluse | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| North Harbour Unincorporated - Sydney Harbour Area |
3.1 km | Not mapped | 13% |
| Dover Heights Waverley |
3.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Mosman Mosman |
3.8 km | Not mapped | 29% |
| Balgowlah Heights Northern Beaches |
3.9 km | Not mapped | 48% |
| Rose Bay | 4.0 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Point Piper | 4.1 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Manly Northern Beaches |
4.2 km | Not mapped | 54% |
| Clontarf Northern Beaches |
4.4 km | Not mapped | 39% |
| Cremorne Point North Sydney |
4.9 km | Not mapped | <1% |