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

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

Village dominant. Median sale $1.01M over the last 24 months. 90% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
RU5
Village
Median sale (24m)
$1.01M
14 sales
DA approval rate
90%
18 of 20 approved
Total lots
389
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Hat Head

Hat Head is dominated by RU5Village. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

RU5
Dominant
RU5 Village 82.2%
C1 Local Centre 15.0%
C2 Centre Support 1.3%
C3 Commercial Core 1.0%
RU2 Rural Landscape 0.5%
Avg max height
8.0 m

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

Avg max FSR
:1

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

Use mix
Environment17%
Rural82%

Location

Where Hat Head sits

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

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Kempsey Shire Council
Postcode
2440
Area
Total lots
389

Drill into any lot in Hat Head

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 Hat Head

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

granny flat eligible
0

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
5

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
0 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
3.8 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

0

Own a property in Hat 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 Hat Head

65% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 14.7% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community; 2.8% 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 65.0%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls None

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land None

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 14.7%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure 2.8%

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Hakuna Homes

Home builder · serves Hat Head, NSW

1 Mowong Cl, Hat Head NSW 2440

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Market

Hat 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)
$1,006,500
14 sales · land value $645K
Median rent (house)
$390 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
2.1%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Hat Head

20 development applications for Hat Head addresses were decided by Kempsey Shire Council over the past 24 months. 18 approved — a 90% approval rate.

90%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
20
Approved
18
New dwelling DAs
33
Building approvals (12m)
6

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Hat Head

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

Green cover
46%
Amenity score
52.3 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
26.0 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
58.1 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

ZoneDSS Marketplace

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FAQs

Common questions about Hat Head

What's the zoning in Hat Head 2440?

Hat Head is dominated by the RU5 (Village) zone, which covers 318 of 389 lots (82%). The full mix is: RU5 Village (82%), C1 Local Centre (15%), C2 Centre Support (1%), C3 Commercial Core (1%), RU2 Rural Landscape (1%).

What's the building height limit in Hat Head?

Across Hat Head, the average maximum building height is 8.0 m. Height is set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and can be varied by overlays and schedules. For the exact control on a specific address, generate a planning report.

Can I build a granny flat in Hat Head?

Most lots in Hat Head aren't eligible for a granny flat under SEPP (Housing) 2021 — typically because the dominant zoning (RU5) doesn't permit it, or lot sizes fall below the minimum. Always verify on the specific address.

What's the median property price in Hat Head?

The median sale price in Hat Head over the past 24 months is $1,006,500, across 14 sales. Median unimproved land value is $645,000.

What's the median rent in Hat Head?

Median weekly rent for a house in Hat 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 20 development applications for Hat Head addresses over the past 24 months, with 18 approved (90% 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 Hat Head?

Across Hat Head, 65.0% 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 Hat Head?

0 of 389 lots in Hat Head show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 3.8 / 100.

Mileswinter

Architectural designer · serves Hat Head, NSW

22B Marlin Cct, Hat Head NSW 2440

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Get a planning report for any address in Hat 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 →