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

Kiama, NSW 2533 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $1.21M over the last 24 months. 82% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$1.21M
384 sales
DA approval rate
82%
184 of 224 approved
Total lots
3,179
Marketplace

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

Zoning

What you can build in Kiama

Kiama 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 71.5%
R3 Medium Density Residential 13.8%
E1 Local Centre 6.4%
R5 Large Lot Residential 4.7%
RE1 Public Recreation 3.5%
Avg max height
8.3 m

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

Avg max FSR
0.56:1

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

Use mix
Residential86%
Commercial7%
Environment1%
Rural2%

Location

Where Kiama sits

Kiama 2533 covers an undefined area within The Council of the Municipality of Kiama.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
The Council of the Municipality of Kiama
Postcode
2533
Area
Total lots
3,179

Drill into any lot in Kiama

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 Kiama

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

Underdeveloped
1,168

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
2,434

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
1,374

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
50

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
2,896 lots

show at least one development signal

Transport Oriented Dev
159 lots

within a TOD corridor (uplift expected)

Rezoning signal score
32.1 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 17 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 24,236 dwellings, with 1,621,893 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Kiama?

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 Kiama

8% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 10% of lots carry heritage controls; 1.8% 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 7.8%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 10.0%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.1%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 1.8%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

AJF Designs

Architecture firm · serves Kiama, NSW

Kiama NSW 2533

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Market

Kiama 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)
$1,210,000
384 sales · land value $988K
Median rent (house)
$750 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.4%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Kiama

224 development applications for Kiama addresses were decided by The Council of the Municipality of Kiama over the past 24 months. 184 approved — a 82% approval rate.

82%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
224
Approved
184
New dwelling DAs
196
Building approvals (12m)
9

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Kiama

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

Population
8,786
Median age
51
Household income
$82.63K
Owner-occupied
73%
Renting
21%
Green cover
45%
Amenity score
97.0 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
96.3 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
96.3 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Kiama

What's the zoning in Kiama 2533?

Kiama is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 2,157 of 3,179 lots (72%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (72%), R3 Medium Density Residential (14%), E1 Local Centre (6%), R5 Large Lot Residential (5%), RE1 Public Recreation (4%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Kiama?

Across Kiama, the average maximum building height is 8.3 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.56:1. 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 Kiama?

Yes — 2,434 lots in Kiama 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 Kiama?

The median sale price in Kiama over the past 24 months is $1,210,000, across 384 sales. Median unimproved land value is $988,000.

What's the median rent in Kiama?

Median weekly rent for a house in Kiama is $750. Gross rental yield works out to 3.4%.

What's the development application approval rate in The Council of the Municipality of Kiama?

The Council of the Municipality of Kiama decided 224 development applications for Kiama addresses over the past 24 months, with 184 approved (82% 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 Kiama?

Across Kiama, 10% with heritage controls, 7.8% bushfire-prone, 0.1% 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 Kiama?

2,896 of 3,179 lots in Kiama show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. 159 lots fall within a Transport Oriented Development corridor. Average rezoning signal score: 32.1 / 100.

Allen Price

Land surveyor · serves Kiama, NSW

Unit 1/28 Bong Bong St, Kiama NSW 2533

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Get a planning report for any address in Kiama

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 The Council of the Municipality of Kiama 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 →