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

Kempsey, NSW 2440 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Commercial Centre dominant. Median sale $438.5K over the last 24 months. 78% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
E2
Commercial Centre
Median sale (24m)
$438.5K
36 sales
DA approval rate
78%
18 of 23 approved
Total lots
701
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Kempsey

Kempsey is dominated by E2Commercial Centre. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

E2
Dominant
E2 Commercial Centre 32.6%
C2 Centre Support 31.4%
RE1 Public Recreation 17.4%
R1 General Residential 10.8%
RU1 Primary Production 7.8%
Avg max height
8.0 m

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

Avg max FSR
1.49:1

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

Use mix
Residential10%
Commercial35%
Environment29%
Rural7%

Location

Where Kempsey sits

Kempsey 2440 covers an undefined area within Kempsey Shire Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Kempsey Shire Council
Postcode
2440
Area
Total lots
701

Drill into any lot in Kempsey

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 Kempsey

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

Underdeveloped
109

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
67

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
67

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
21

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
225 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
6.5 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 4,330 dwellings, with 244,232 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Kempsey?

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 Kempsey

19% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 2% of lots carry heritage controls; 2.9% of lots are within 100m of a recorded contaminated site; 6.1% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community.

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

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone 18.5%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 2.4%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 2.9%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 6.1%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Bunnings Kempsey

Home improvement store · serves Kempsey, NSW

Cnr Macleay Valley Way &, South St, Kempsey NSW 2440

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Market

Kempsey 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)
$438,500
36 sales · land value $115K
Median rent (house)
$390 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
5.8%
House, gross of costs
Projected dwellings 2036
7,099

Greater Sydney Region Plan / NSW Department of Planning forecast.

DA activity

Development applications in Kempsey

23 development applications for Kempsey addresses were decided by Kempsey Shire Council over the past 24 months. 18 approved — a 78% approval rate.

78%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
23
Approved
18
New dwelling DAs
1
Building approvals (12m)
6

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Kempsey

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

Population
15,654
Median age
42
Household income
$56.21K
Owner-occupied
66%
Renting
29%
Green cover
42%
Amenity score
91.2 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
90.7 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
89.8 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Kempsey

What's the zoning in Kempsey 2440?

Kempsey is dominated by the E2 (Commercial Centre) zone, which covers 214 of 701 lots (33%). The full mix is: E2 Commercial Centre (33%), C2 Centre Support (31%), RE1 Public Recreation (17%), R1 General Residential (11%), RU1 Primary Production (8%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Kempsey?

Across Kempsey, the average maximum building height is 8.0 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 1.49:1. 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 Kempsey?

Yes — 67 lots in Kempsey 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 Kempsey?

The median sale price in Kempsey over the past 24 months is $438,500, across 36 sales. Median unimproved land value is $115,000.

What's the median rent in Kempsey?

Median weekly rent for a house in Kempsey is $390. Gross rental yield works out to 5.8%.

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

Kempsey Shire Council decided 23 development applications for Kempsey addresses over the past 24 months, with 18 approved (78% 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 Kempsey?

Across Kempsey, 2% with heritage controls, 18.5% bushfire-prone, 2.9% 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 Kempsey?

225 of 701 lots in Kempsey show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 6.5 / 100.

Clean As A Whistle Floor Care

Cleaning service · serves Kempsey, NSW

Pipers Creek Rd, Kempsey NSW 2440

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Get a planning report for any address in Kempsey

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 →