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

Bonnells Bay, NSW 2264 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $860K over the last 24 months. 92% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$860K
160 sales
DA approval rate
92%
55 of 60 approved
Total lots
1,954
Marketplace

Need a builder, surveyor or planner near Bonnells Bay? See local experts ↓

Zoning

What you can build in Bonnells Bay

Bonnells 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 78.9%
R3 Medium Density Residential 15.0%
RE1 Public Recreation 4.1%
C2 Centre Support 1.5%
RU6 Transition 0.5%
Avg max height
8.3 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
Residential93%
Commercial1%
Environment2%
Rural1%

Location

Where Bonnells Bay sits

Bonnells Bay 2264 covers an undefined area within Lake Macquarie City Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Lake Macquarie City Council
Postcode
2264
Area
Total lots
1,954

Drill into any lot in Bonnells Bay

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 Bonnells Bay

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
1,781

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
834

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
0 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
18.3 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

0

Own a property in Bonnells Bay?

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 Bonnells Bay

31% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 3.1% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community; 0.1% 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 30.6%

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) 3.1%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure 0.1%

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

AUSTRAX STRUCTURAL CIVIL ENGINEERS

Engineering consultant · serves Bonnells Bay, NSW

38 Station St, Bonnells Bay NSW 2264

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Market

Bonnells 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)
$860,000
160 sales · land value $457K
Median rent (house)
$600 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.5%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Bonnells Bay

60 development applications for Bonnells Bay addresses were decided by Lake Macquarie City Council over the past 24 months. 55 approved — a 92% approval rate. Average processing time: 85 days.

92%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
60
Approved
55
New dwelling DAs
468
Building approvals (12m)
40

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Bonnells Bay

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

Green cover
43%
Amenity score
81.7 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
85.0 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
79.8 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Bonnells Bay

What's the zoning in Bonnells Bay 2264?

Bonnells Bay is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 1,523 of 1,954 lots (79%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (79%), R3 Medium Density Residential (15%), RE1 Public Recreation (4%), C2 Centre Support (2%), RU6 Transition (1%).

What's the building height limit in Bonnells Bay?

Across Bonnells Bay, the average maximum building height is 8.3 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 Bonnells Bay?

Yes — 1,781 lots in Bonnells 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 Bonnells Bay?

The median sale price in Bonnells Bay over the past 24 months is $860,000, across 160 sales. Median unimproved land value is $457,000.

What's the median rent in Bonnells Bay?

Median weekly rent for a house in Bonnells Bay is $600. Gross rental yield works out to 3.5%.

What's the development application approval rate in Lake Macquarie City Council?

Lake Macquarie City Council decided 60 development applications for Bonnells Bay addresses over the past 24 months, with 55 approved (92% approval rate). Average processing time is 85 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Bonnells Bay?

Across Bonnells Bay, 30.6% 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 Bonnells Bay?

0 of 1,954 lots in Bonnells Bay show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 18.3 / 100.

Auswater Plumbing

Plumber · serves Bonnells Bay, NSW

56 Maddie St, Bonnells Bay NSW 2264

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Get a planning report for any address in Bonnells 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 Lake Macquarie City 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 →