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

Crescent Head, NSW 2440 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

General Residential dominant. Median sale $951.25K over the last 24 months. 80% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R1
General Residential
Median sale (24m)
$951.25K
60 sales
DA approval rate
80%
68 of 85 approved
Total lots
1,113
Marketplace

Need a builder, surveyor or planner near Crescent Head? See local experts ↓

Zoning

What you can build in Crescent Head

Crescent Head is dominated by R1General 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.

R1
Dominant
R1 General Residential 50.1%
R3 Medium Density Residential 18.2%
RU2 Rural Landscape 15.4%
R5 Large Lot Residential 8.3%
RU4 Primary Production Small Lots 7.9%
Avg max height
8.1 m

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

Avg max FSR
2.00:1

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

Use mix
Residential58%
Commercial2%
Environment16%
Rural23%

Location

Where Crescent Head sits

Crescent Head 2440 covers an undefined area within Kempsey Shire Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Kempsey Shire Council
Postcode
2440
Area
Total lots
1,113

Drill into any lot in Crescent Head

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

Open interactive map

Development potential

Where the upside is in Crescent Head

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

Underdeveloped
13

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
624

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
467

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
5

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
17 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
12.3 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 210 dwellings, with 16,146 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Crescent Head?

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 Crescent Head

73% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 0% of lots carry heritage controls; 21.6% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community; 6.9% 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 73.4%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 0.4%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land None

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 21.6%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure 6.9%

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Australian Architectural Hardwoods Pty Ltd

Flooring contractor · serves Crescent Head, NSW

Servicing all Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle & North Coast of New South Wales, Crescent Head NSW 2440

View profile

Market

Crescent Head 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)
$951,250
60 sales · land value $688K
Median rent (house)
$390 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
2.1%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Crescent Head

85 development applications for Crescent Head addresses were decided by Kempsey Shire Council over the past 24 months. 68 approved — a 80% approval rate.

80%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
85
Approved
68
New dwelling DAs
67
Building approvals (12m)
6

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Crescent Head

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

Green cover
54%
Amenity score
76.7 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
67.4 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
81.1 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Crescent Head

What's the zoning in Crescent Head 2440?

Crescent Head is dominated by the R1 (General Residential) zone, which covers 423 of 1,113 lots (50%). The full mix is: R1 General Residential (50%), R3 Medium Density Residential (18%), RU2 Rural Landscape (15%), R5 Large Lot Residential (8%), RU4 Primary Production Small Lots (8%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Crescent Head?

Across Crescent Head, the average maximum building height is 8.1 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 2.00:1. 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 Crescent Head?

Yes — 624 lots in Crescent Head 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 Crescent Head?

The median sale price in Crescent Head over the past 24 months is $951,250, across 60 sales. Median unimproved land value is $688,000.

What's the median rent in Crescent Head?

Median weekly rent for a house in Crescent Head is $390. Gross rental yield works out to 2.1%.

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

Kempsey Shire Council decided 85 development applications for Crescent Head addresses over the past 24 months, with 68 approved (80% approval rate). Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Crescent Head?

Across Crescent Head, 0% with heritage controls, 73.4% bushfire-prone. 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 Crescent Head?

17 of 1,113 lots in Crescent Head show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 12.3 / 100.

BAUA

Architecture firm · serves Crescent Head, NSW

30 Korogora St, Crescent Head NSW 2440

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Get a planning report for any address in Crescent Head

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 Kempsey 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 →