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

South Kempsey, NSW 2440 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

General Residential dominant. Median sale $410K over the last 24 months. 77% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R1
General Residential
Median sale (24m)
$410K
119 sales
DA approval rate
77%
62 of 81 approved
Total lots
1,618
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in South Kempsey

South Kempsey 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 41.4%
R5 Large Lot Residential 23.8%
RU2 Rural Landscape 15.3%
E4 General Industrial 11.8%
R3 Medium Density Residential 7.6%
Avg max height
8.4 m

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

Avg max FSR
0.51:1

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

Use mix
Residential60%
Commercial11%
Environment6%
Rural16%

Location

Where South Kempsey sits

South Kempsey 2440 covers an undefined area within Kempsey Shire Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Kempsey Shire Council
Postcode
2440
Area
Total lots
1,618

Drill into any lot in South 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 South Kempsey

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

Underdeveloped
112

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
952

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
836

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
8

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
136 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
10.8 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 10,662 dwellings, with 954,557 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in South Kempsey?

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

Run a report on your address

Constraints & risks

What could stop you in South Kempsey

60% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 0% of lots carry heritage controls; 9.8% 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 59.6%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 0.2%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.6%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 9.8%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Bellco Homes

Home builder · serves South Kempsey, NSW

39 Lachlan St, South Kempsey NSW 2440

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Market

South 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)
$410,000
119 sales · land value $181K
Median rent (house)
$390 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
4.2%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in South Kempsey

81 development applications for South Kempsey addresses were decided by Kempsey Shire Council over the past 24 months. 62 approved — a 77% approval rate.

77%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
81
Approved
62
New dwelling DAs
61
Building approvals (12m)
6

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in South Kempsey

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

Green cover
51%
Amenity score
62.9 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
62.4 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
69.1 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about South Kempsey

What's the zoning in South Kempsey 2440?

South Kempsey is dominated by the R1 (General Residential) zone, which covers 549 of 1,618 lots (41%). The full mix is: R1 General Residential (41%), R5 Large Lot Residential (24%), RU2 Rural Landscape (15%), E4 General Industrial (12%), R3 Medium Density Residential (8%).

What's the height limit and FSR in South Kempsey?

Across South Kempsey, the average maximum building height is 8.4 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.51:1. 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 South Kempsey?

Yes — 952 lots in South 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 South Kempsey?

The median sale price in South Kempsey over the past 24 months is $410,000, across 119 sales. Median unimproved land value is $181,000.

What's the median rent in South Kempsey?

Median weekly rent for a house in South Kempsey is $390. Gross rental yield works out to 4.2%.

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

Kempsey Shire Council decided 81 development applications for South Kempsey addresses over the past 24 months, with 62 approved (77% 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 South Kempsey?

Across South Kempsey, 0% with heritage controls, 59.6% bushfire-prone, 0.6% 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 South Kempsey?

136 of 1,618 lots in South Kempsey show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 10.8 / 100.

Fair Dinkum Builds - Macleay Valley Sheds

Shed builder · serves South Kempsey, NSW

36 Crescent Head Rd, South Kempsey NSW 2440

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Get a planning report for any address in South 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 →