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

Swan Bay, NSW 2324 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Rural Landscape dominant. Median sale $3.2M over the last 24 months. 83% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
RU2
Rural Landscape
Median sale (24m)
$3.2M
43 sales
DA approval rate
83%
5 of 6 approved
Total lots
513

Swan Bay 2324 spans 2 councils: Port Stephens Council (258 lots), Richmond Valley Council (255 lots). The dominant council (Port Stephens Council) sets the canonical URL for this page.

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Zoning

What you can build in Swan Bay

Swan Bay is dominated by RU2Rural Landscape. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

RU2
Dominant
RU2 Rural Landscape 36.3%
RU1 Primary Production 35.6%
R5 Large Lot Residential 15.7%
R2 Low Density Residential 9.0%
C1 Local Centre 3.5%
Avg max height
9.0 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
Residential17%
Environment8%
Rural69%

Location

Where Swan Bay sits

Swan Bay 2324 covers an undefined area within Port Stephens Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Port Stephens Council
Postcode
2324
Area
Total lots
513

Drill into any lot in Swan 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 Swan 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
43

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
197

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
0 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
4.5 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

0

Own a property in Swan 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 Swan Bay

93% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 0% of lots carry heritage controls; 35.3% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community; 14.7% 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 93.0%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 0.4%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land None

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 35.3%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure 14.7%

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Swan Bay Sandstone Landscape & Quarry Supplies

Landscaping supply store · serves Swan Bay, NSW

175 Reardons Ln, Swan Bay NSW 2471

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Market

Swan 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)
$3,200,000
43 sales · land value $481K
Median rent (house)
$555 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
5.5%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Swan Bay

6 development applications for Swan Bay addresses were decided by Port Stephens Council over the past 24 months. 5 approved — a 83% approval rate.

83%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
6
Approved
5
New dwelling DAs
5
Building approvals (12m)
24

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Swan Bay

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

Green cover
59%
Amenity score
26.5 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
26.0 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
29.7 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

ZoneDSS Marketplace

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FAQs

Common questions about Swan Bay

What's the zoning in Swan Bay 2324?

Swan Bay is dominated by the RU2 (Rural Landscape) zone, which covers 178 of 513 lots (36%). The full mix is: RU2 Rural Landscape (36%), RU1 Primary Production (36%), R5 Large Lot Residential (16%), R2 Low Density Residential (9%), C1 Local Centre (4%).

What's the building height limit in Swan Bay?

Across Swan Bay, the average maximum building height is 9.0 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 Swan Bay?

Yes — 43 lots in Swan 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 Swan Bay?

The median sale price in Swan Bay over the past 24 months is $3,200,000, across 43 sales. Median unimproved land value is $481,000.

What's the median rent in Swan Bay?

Median weekly rent for a house in Swan Bay is $555. Gross rental yield works out to 5.5%.

What's the development application approval rate in Port Stephens Council?

Port Stephens Council decided 6 development applications for Swan Bay addresses over the past 24 months, with 5 approved (83% 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 Swan Bay?

Across Swan Bay, 0% with heritage controls, 93.0% 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 Swan Bay?

0 of 513 lots in Swan Bay show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 4.5 / 100.

Get a planning report for any address in Swan 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 Port Stephens 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 →