Property Report / Areas / Ballina / Wollongbar

Wollongbar zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Wollongbar (Ballina, NSW) - 17.83 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 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Wollongbar'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 Wollongbar

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.

Wollongbar at a glance

Parcels 1,343 Median lot 860 m² Mapped easements 3 Bus stops 22

How Wollongbar is zoned

Deferred Matter 48%
Primary Production 40%
Low Density Residential 6%
Medium Density Residential 5%
Public Recreation 1%
General Industrial 0%

Buying in Wollongbar? 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 17.83 km², Wollongbar 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, 60% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Deferred Matter. The median lot measures about 860 m² across 1,343 parcels.

Who lives in Wollongbar

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Wollongbar suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
3,261
usual residents, 2021
Median age
40
years
Median household income
$1,639
per week, Ballina suburb typical $1,812
Median rent
$420
per week, Ballina suburb typical $410
Median mortgage
$1,842
per month
Household size
2.6
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1006, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Wollongbar's 3,261 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.5%
5-14 14.4%
15-19 6.8%
20-24 5.2%
25-34 10.6%
35-44 12.3%
45-54 13.0%
55-64 12.0%
65-74 11.4%
75-84 6.9%
85+ 1.9%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Ballina Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Wollongbar. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Wollongbar itself.

14,963 in 2001 to 19,370 in 2025, up 29%.

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.

Wollongbar data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 3 October 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 Wollongbar 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.

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 Wollongbar lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Wollongbar planning - frequently asked

Is Wollongbar flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Wollongbar, 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. Ballina is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Wollongbar bushfire-prone?

Around 60% of Wollongbar is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Ballina average of 68%.

Is Wollongbar under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 7% of Wollongbar in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 6,000 ft. 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 Wollongbar?

The dominant planning zone in Wollongbar is Deferred Matter, though the suburb also includes Primary Production and Low Density Residential.

Does Wollongbar have heritage-listed places?

Wollongbar has 1 heritage-listed place on record.

What is the typical lot size in Wollongbar?

Across 1,343 surveyed parcels in Wollongbar, the median lot size is about 860 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Wollongbar have a train station?

There is no train station inside Wollongbar itself. The suburb is served by 22 bus stops.

What is the population of Wollongbar?

At the 2021 Census Wollongbar had 3,261 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Ballina Surrounds statistical area, which contains Wollongbar, went from 14,963 people in 2001 to 19,370 in 2025, up 29%.

Is Wollongbar an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Wollongbar scores 1006 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Wollongbar?

Median household income in Wollongbar was $1,639 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,812 for the typical suburb in Ballina. Median rent was $420 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,842 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Mcleans Ridges 3.3 km <1% 32%
Lindendale
Lismore
3.5 km Not mapped 35%
Alstonvale 4.6 km Not mapped 57%
Rous 4.8 km Not mapped 42%
Alstonville 5.0 km Not mapped 57%
Tuckombil 5.5 km Not mapped 57%
Boat Harbour
Lismore
6.0 km 48% 5%
Chilcotts Grass
Lismore
6.4 km Not mapped 79%
Lynwood 6.7 km Not mapped 46%
Eltham
Lismore
6.8 km 10% 16%

See all Ballina suburb profiles →