Every planning control identified for any lot | Every planning rule & overlay cross-referenced in one query | Approval likelihood scored for every control | Conflicts and overrides resolved automatically | Every answer cited to the source clause | Ask planning questions in plain English | Results in under 1 second | Every planning control identified for any lot | Every planning rule & overlay cross-referenced in one query | Approval likelihood scored for every control | Conflicts and overrides resolved automatically | Every answer cited to the source clause | Ask planning questions in plain English | Results in under 1 second |
Suburb planning guide · Updated 2026-04-27

Byron Bay, NSW 2481 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $1.71M over the last 24 months. 81% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$1.71M
375 sales
DA approval rate
81%
308 of 380 approved
Total lots
2,839
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Byron Bay

Byron Bay is dominated by R2Low Density Residential. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

R2
Dominant
R2 Low Density Residential 70.4%
DM DM 11.7%
E4 General Industrial 6.8%
E1 Local Centre 6.3%
R3 Medium Density Residential 4.8%
Avg max height
9.1 m

Limit varies by lot — check your address for the exact figure.

Avg max FSR
0.56:1

Floor Space Ratio — total floor area as a multiple of lot area.

Use mix
Residential69%
Commercial12%
Environment4%
Rural2%

Location

Where Byron Bay sits

Byron Bay 2481 covers an undefined area within Byron Shire Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Byron Shire Council
Postcode
2481
Area
Total lots
2,839

Drill into any lot in Byron Bay

Open the interactive map — click any address to see its zone, height, FSR, overlays, and approval likelihood.

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Development potential

Where the upside is in Byron Bay

We score every lot for development signal — under-built relative to the controls, eligible for a granny flat, or sized for subdivision.

Underdeveloped
1,045

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
1,867

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
531

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
26

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
2,074 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
33.5 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 164 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 18,342 dwellings, with 1,053,095 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Byron Bay?

Check your lot's exact development potential — height, FSR, granny flat, subdivision, dual-occ.

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Constraints & risks

What could stop you in Byron Bay

68% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 12% of lots carry heritage controls; 12.2% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community; 0.6% of lots are exposed to projected sea-level rise.

Suburb-wide percentages — your specific lot may have all, some, or none of these.

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone 68.0%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 11.7%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.3%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 12.2%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure 0.6%

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

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Electrician · serves Byron Bay, NSW

1-3 Fern Pl, Byron Bay NSW 2481

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Market

Byron Bay property market

Sales, rent, and yield data drawn from NSW Property Sales Information and rental bond data over the past 24 months.

Median sale price (24m)
$1,705,000
375 sales · land value $1.95M
Median rent (house)
$975 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.4%
House, gross of costs
Projected dwellings 2036
6,140

Greater Sydney Region Plan / NSW Department of Planning forecast.

DA activity

Development applications in Byron Bay

380 development applications for Byron Bay addresses were decided by Byron Shire Council over the past 24 months. 308 approved — a 81% approval rate. Average processing time: 43 days.

81%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
380
Approved
308
New dwelling DAs
308
Building approvals (12m)
14

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Byron Bay

ABS Census 2021 population data combined with lot-level amenity, healthcare, lifestyle, and crime indices.

Population
10,914
Median age
39
Household income
$90.9K
Owner-occupied
59%
Renting
37%
Green cover
47%
Amenity score
98.2 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
97.2 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
99.3 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Byron Bay

What's the zoning in Byron Bay 2481?

Byron Bay is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 1,822 of 2,839 lots (70%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (70%), DM DM (12%), E4 General Industrial (7%), E1 Local Centre (6%), R3 Medium Density Residential (5%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Byron Bay?

Across Byron Bay, the average maximum building height is 9.1 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.56:1. Individual lots can vary materially — height and FSR are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and can be modified by overlays. For an exact figure on a specific address, generate a planning report.

Can I build a granny flat in Byron Bay?

Yes — 1,867 lots in Byron Bay appear eligible for a granny flat under SEPP (Housing) 2021, based on lot size, zoning, and frontage. Eligibility is lot-specific: get a planning report on your address to confirm.

What's the median property price in Byron Bay?

The median sale price in Byron Bay over the past 24 months is $1,705,000, across 375 sales. Median unimproved land value is $1,945,000.

What's the median rent in Byron Bay?

Median weekly rent for a house in Byron Bay is $975. Gross rental yield works out to 3.4%.

What's the development application approval rate in Byron Shire Council?

Byron Shire Council decided 380 development applications for Byron Bay addresses over the past 24 months, with 308 approved (81% approval rate). Average processing time is 43 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Byron Bay?

Across Byron Bay, 12% with heritage controls, 68.0% bushfire-prone, 0.3% near contaminated sites. These are suburb-wide percentages — every lot has its own combination. A planning report on a specific address shows exactly which controls apply.

What's the development potential of Byron Bay?

2,074 of 2,839 lots in Byron Bay show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 33.5 / 100.

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Pressure washing service · serves Byron Bay, NSW

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Get a planning report for any address in Byron Bay

Suburb-wide stats are useful for context. For a buy-or-walk decision on a specific lot, you need every control, every constraint, and every clause cited to source.

Run a report — from A$29

14-section report · LEP + SEPP + DCP cross-referenced · cited to source

Methodology & sources

Zoning, height, FSR, and overlays parsed from the Byron Shire Council Local Environmental Plan, applicable State Environmental Planning Policies, and the Development Control Plan. Property sales drawn from NSW Property Sales Information. DA history aggregated from the NSW Planning Portal. Heritage, flood, bushfire, contaminated land, TEC, sea-level rise, and aircraft noise overlays from the NSW Spatial Services and EPA registers. Population, age, income, and tenure from ABS Census 2021. Aggregated by ZoneDSS · last updated 2026-04-27.

Suburb-wide statistics — your specific lot may vary. Always run a planning report on the actual address before making a decision. How ZoneDSS works →