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

Arcadia, NSW 2159 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Primary Production Small Lots dominant. Median sale $3.28M over the last 24 months. 94% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
RU4
Primary Production Small Lots
Median sale (24m)
$3.28M
31 sales
DA approval rate
94%
29 of 31 approved
Total lots
475
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Arcadia

Arcadia is dominated by RU4Primary Production Small Lots. Land use rules, height, FSR, and permitted developments are set per zone in the Local Environmental Plan and refined by the Development Control Plan.

RU4
Dominant
RU4 Primary Production Small Lots 62.7%
RU1 Primary Production 16.7%
C3 Commercial Core 16.5%
R2 Low Density Residential 3.2%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.1%
Avg max height
9.9 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
Residential3%
Environment16%
Rural79%

Location

Where Arcadia sits

Arcadia 2159 covers an undefined area within The Council of the Shire of Hornsby.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
The Council of the Shire of Hornsby
Postcode
2159
Area
Total lots
475

Drill into any lot in Arcadia

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 Arcadia

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
15

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
391

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
0 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
2.6 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

0

Own a property in Arcadia?

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 Arcadia

80% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 5% of lots carry heritage controls; 29.9% 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 80.0%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 4.6%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land None

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 29.9%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Commodore Dental & Medical Fitouts

Interior fitting contractor · serves Arcadia, NSW

166 Arcadia Rd, Arcadia NSW 2159

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Market

Arcadia 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)
$3,280,000
31 sales · land value $2.31M
Median rent (house)
$820 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
1.7%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Arcadia

31 development applications for Arcadia addresses were decided by The Council of the Shire of Hornsby over the past 24 months. 29 approved — a 94% approval rate.

94%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
31
Approved
29
New dwelling DAs
38
Building approvals (12m)
14

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Arcadia

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

Green cover
64%
Amenity score
64.2 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
64.0 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
65.7 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Arcadia

What's the zoning in Arcadia 2159?

Arcadia is dominated by the RU4 (Primary Production Small Lots) zone, which covers 297 of 475 lots (63%). The full mix is: RU4 Primary Production Small Lots (63%), RU1 Primary Production (17%), C3 Commercial Core (17%), R2 Low Density Residential (3%), RE1 Public Recreation (1%).

What's the building height limit in Arcadia?

Across Arcadia, the average maximum building height is 9.9 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 Arcadia?

Yes — 15 lots in Arcadia 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 Arcadia?

The median sale price in Arcadia over the past 24 months is $3,280,000, across 31 sales. Median unimproved land value is $2,305,000.

What's the median rent in Arcadia?

Median weekly rent for a house in Arcadia is $820. Gross rental yield works out to 1.7%.

What's the development application approval rate in The Council of the Shire of Hornsby?

The Council of the Shire of Hornsby decided 31 development applications for Arcadia addresses over the past 24 months, with 29 approved (94% 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 Arcadia?

Across Arcadia, 5% with heritage controls, 80.0% 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 Arcadia?

0 of 475 lots in Arcadia show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 2.6 / 100.

Earthscape Industries Pty Ltd

Landscaper · serves Arcadia, NSW

Arcadia Rd, Arcadia NSW 2159

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Get a planning report for any address in Arcadia

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 Shire of Hornsby 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 →