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

Lake Illawarra, NSW 2528 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $770K over the last 24 months. 83% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$770K
145 sales
DA approval rate
83%
55 of 66 approved
Total lots
1,114
Marketplace

Need a builder, surveyor or planner near Lake Illawarra? See local experts ↓

Zoning

What you can build in Lake Illawarra

Lake Illawarra 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 50.4%
R3 Medium Density Residential 43.3%
RE1 Public Recreation 3.4%
E1 Local Centre 2.1%
E4 General Industrial 0.9%
Avg max height
9.0 m

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

Avg max FSR
0.59:1

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

Use mix
Residential93%
Commercial3%
Environment1%

Location

Where Lake Illawarra sits

Lake Illawarra 2528 covers an undefined area within Shellharbour City Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Shellharbour City Council
Postcode
2528
Area
Total lots
1,114

Drill into any lot in Lake Illawarra

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 Lake Illawarra

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

Underdeveloped
854

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
992

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
543

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
8

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
1,067 lots

show at least one development signal

Transport Oriented Dev
15 lots

within a TOD corridor (uplift expected)

Rezoning signal score
32.0 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 2 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 6,931 dwellings, with 471,133 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Lake Illawarra?

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 Lake Illawarra

1% of lots carry heritage controls; also: 1.3% 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 3.2%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 1.2%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.4%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 1.3%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

100% Homes

Home builder · serves Lake Illawarra, NSW

4 Osborne Parade, Lake Illawarra NSW 2528

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Market

Lake Illawarra 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)
$770,000
145 sales · land value $546K
Median rent (house)
$590 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.6%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Lake Illawarra

66 development applications for Lake Illawarra addresses were decided by Shellharbour City Council over the past 24 months. 55 approved — a 83% approval rate. Average processing time: 28 days.

83%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
66
Approved
55
New dwelling DAs
81
Building approvals (12m)
29

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Lake Illawarra

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

Green cover
37%
Amenity score
59.5 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
57.7 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
68.3 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Lake Illawarra

What's the zoning in Lake Illawarra 2528?

Lake Illawarra is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 556 of 1,114 lots (50%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (50%), R3 Medium Density Residential (43%), RE1 Public Recreation (3%), E1 Local Centre (2%), E4 General Industrial (1%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Lake Illawarra?

Across Lake Illawarra, the average maximum building height is 9.0 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.59:1. 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 Lake Illawarra?

Yes — 992 lots in Lake Illawarra 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 Lake Illawarra?

The median sale price in Lake Illawarra over the past 24 months is $770,000, across 145 sales. Median unimproved land value is $546,000.

What's the median rent in Lake Illawarra?

Median weekly rent for a house in Lake Illawarra is $590. Gross rental yield works out to 3.6%.

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

Shellharbour City Council decided 66 development applications for Lake Illawarra addresses over the past 24 months, with 55 approved (83% approval rate). Average processing time is 28 days. Processing time depends heavily on application complexity, council backlog, and whether the application requires referral to other agencies.

What planning constraints apply in Lake Illawarra?

Across Lake Illawarra, 1% with heritage controls, 3.2% bushfire-prone, 0.4% 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 Lake Illawarra?

1,067 of 1,114 lots in Lake Illawarra show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. 15 lots fall within a Transport Oriented Development corridor. Average rezoning signal score: 32.0 / 100.

C-Lite Architectural Windows Pty Ltd

Window supplier · serves Lake Illawarra, NSW

8 Commerce Dr, Lake Illawarra NSW 2528

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Get a planning report for any address in Lake Illawarra

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 Shellharbour 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 →