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

Balgowlah, NSW 2093 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

General Residential dominant. Median sale $2.2M over the last 24 months. 88% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R1
General Residential
Median sale (24m)
$2.2M
326 sales
DA approval rate
88%
150 of 171 approved
Total lots
1,999
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Balgowlah

Balgowlah 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 73.7%
R2 Low Density Residential 17.4%
E1 Local Centre 3.7%
E3 Productivity Support 3.3%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.9%
Avg max height
8.4 m

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

Avg max FSR
0.58:1

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

Use mix
Residential89%
Commercial7%
Environment1%

Location

Where Balgowlah sits

Balgowlah 2093 covers an undefined area within Northern Beaches Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Northern Beaches Council
Postcode
2093
Area
Total lots
1,999

Drill into any lot in Balgowlah

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 Balgowlah

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

Underdeveloped
715

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
1,566

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
1,037

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
17

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
1,922 lots

show at least one development signal

Transport Oriented Dev
95 lots

within a TOD corridor (uplift expected)

Rezoning signal score
42.3 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 40 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 9,426 dwellings, with 446,888 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Balgowlah?

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 Balgowlah

2% of lots carry heritage controls.

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

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone 3.5%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 1.5%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.7%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) None

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

A.R.K. Automotive

Mechanic · serves Balgowlah, NSW

Unit 3/2 Paton Pl, Balgowlah NSW 2093

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Market

Balgowlah 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)
$2,200,000
326 sales · land value $2.41M
Median rent (house)
$1,188 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
2.7%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Balgowlah

171 development applications for Balgowlah addresses were decided by Northern Beaches Council over the past 24 months. 150 approved — a 88% approval rate. Average processing time: 53 days.

88%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
171
Approved
150
New dwelling DAs
167
Building approvals (12m)
23

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Balgowlah

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

Green cover
39%
Amenity score
96.6 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
97.0 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
95.6 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Balgowlah

What's the zoning in Balgowlah 2093?

Balgowlah is dominated by the R1 (General Residential) zone, which covers 1,443 of 1,999 lots (74%). The full mix is: R1 General Residential (74%), R2 Low Density Residential (17%), E1 Local Centre (4%), E3 Productivity Support (3%), RE1 Public Recreation (2%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Balgowlah?

Across Balgowlah, the average maximum building height is 8.4 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.58:1. 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 Balgowlah?

Yes — 1,566 lots in Balgowlah 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 Balgowlah?

The median sale price in Balgowlah over the past 24 months is $2,200,000, across 326 sales. Median unimproved land value is $2,410,000.

What's the median rent in Balgowlah?

Median weekly rent for a house in Balgowlah is $1,188. Gross rental yield works out to 2.7%.

What's the development application approval rate in Northern Beaches Council?

Northern Beaches Council decided 171 development applications for Balgowlah addresses over the past 24 months, with 150 approved (88% approval rate). Average processing time is 53 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Balgowlah?

Across Balgowlah, 2% with heritage controls, 3.5% bushfire-prone, 0.7% 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 Balgowlah?

1,922 of 1,999 lots in Balgowlah show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. 95 lots fall within a Transport Oriented Development corridor. Average rezoning signal score: 42.3 / 100.

Alicia Ryan - Whitehouse Real Estate

Real estate agency · serves Balgowlah, NSW

Stockland, Shop 63/197 Condamine St, Balgowlah NSW 2093

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Get a planning report for any address in Balgowlah

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 Northern Beaches 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 →