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

Kotara, NSW 2289 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $950K over the last 24 months. 91% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$950K
165 sales
DA approval rate
91%
136 of 149 approved
Total lots
1,629
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Kotara

Kotara 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 92.4%
R3 Medium Density Residential 2.9%
E1 Local Centre 1.8%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.5%
E3 Productivity Support 1.4%
Avg max height
8.1 m

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

Avg max FSR
0.68:1

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

Use mix
Residential94%
Commercial3%
Environment1%

Location

Where Kotara sits

Kotara 2289 covers an undefined area within Newcastle City Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Newcastle City Council
Postcode
2289
Area
Total lots
1,629

Drill into any lot in Kotara

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 Kotara

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

Underdeveloped
1,096

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
1,448

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
1,096

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
1,545 lots

show at least one development signal

Transport Oriented Dev
394 lots

within a TOD corridor (uplift expected)

Rezoning signal score
47.0 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 378 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 15,465 dwellings, with 1,160,168 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Kotara?

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 Kotara

30% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 2.6% 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 29.9%

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) 2.6%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

ChemDry Nova

Carpet cleaning service · serves Kotara, NSW

Park Ave, Kotara NSW 2289

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Market

Kotara 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)
$950,000
165 sales · land value $576K
Median rent (house)
$750 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.9%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Kotara

149 development applications for Kotara addresses were decided by Newcastle City Council over the past 24 months. 136 approved — a 91% approval rate. Average processing time: 25 days.

91%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
149
Approved
136
New dwelling DAs
94
Building approvals (12m)
8

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Kotara

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

Green cover
43%
Amenity score
92.5 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
94.6 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
87.3 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Kotara

What's the zoning in Kotara 2289?

Kotara is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 1,478 of 1,629 lots (92%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (92%), R3 Medium Density Residential (3%), E1 Local Centre (2%), RE1 Public Recreation (2%), E3 Productivity Support (1%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Kotara?

Across Kotara, the average maximum building height is 8.1 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.68:1. 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 Kotara?

Yes — 1,448 lots in Kotara 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 Kotara?

The median sale price in Kotara over the past 24 months is $950,000, across 165 sales. Median unimproved land value is $576,000.

What's the median rent in Kotara?

Median weekly rent for a house in Kotara is $750. Gross rental yield works out to 3.9%.

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

Newcastle City Council decided 149 development applications for Kotara addresses over the past 24 months, with 136 approved (91% approval rate). Average processing time is 25 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Kotara?

Across Kotara, 29.9% 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 Kotara?

1,545 of 1,629 lots in Kotara show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. 394 lots fall within a Transport Oriented Development corridor. Average rezoning signal score: 47.0 / 100.

CVETA Property

Real estate agency · serves Kotara, NSW

1/66 Park Ave, Kotara NSW 2289

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Get a planning report for any address in Kotara

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 Newcastle 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 →