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

Hornsby, NSW 2077 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $755K over the last 24 months. 84% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$755K
868 sales
DA approval rate
84%
252 of 299 approved
Total lots
4,210
Marketplace

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

Zoning

What you can build in Hornsby

Hornsby 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 78.9%
R4 High Density Residential 7.0%
MU1 Mixed Use 5.9%
R3 Medium Density Residential 5.0%
E3 Productivity Support 3.2%
Avg max height
10.2 m

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

Avg max FSR
2.29:1

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

Use mix
Residential87%
Commercial5%

Location

Where Hornsby sits

Hornsby 2077 covers an undefined area within The Council of the Shire of Hornsby.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
The Council of the Shire of Hornsby
Postcode
2077
Area
Total lots
4,210

Drill into any lot in Hornsby

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 Hornsby

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

Underdeveloped
192

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
3,592

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
2,485

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
76

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
438 lots

show at least one development signal

Transport Oriented Dev
270 lots

within a TOD corridor (uplift expected)

Rezoning signal score
28.6 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 9 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 16,300 dwellings, with 1,126,519 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Hornsby?

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 Hornsby

32% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 10% of lots carry heritage controls; 4.1% 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 32.3%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 10.3%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.4%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 4.1%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

2 Kerr Street Hornsby Sydney, NSW 2077

Engineering consultant · serves Hornsby, NSW

2 Kerr St, Hornsby NSW 2077

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Market

Hornsby 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)
$755,000
868 sales · land value $1.28M
Median rent (house)
$750 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
5.2%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Hornsby

299 development applications for Hornsby addresses were decided by The Council of the Shire of Hornsby over the past 24 months. 252 approved — a 84% approval rate.

84%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
299
Approved
252
New dwelling DAs
224
Building approvals (12m)
14

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Hornsby

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

Green cover
44%
Amenity score
99.6 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
99.7 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
98.8 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Hornsby

What's the zoning in Hornsby 2077?

Hornsby is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 3,167 of 4,210 lots (79%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (79%), R4 High Density Residential (7%), MU1 Mixed Use (6%), R3 Medium Density Residential (5%), E3 Productivity Support (3%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Hornsby?

Across Hornsby, the average maximum building height is 10.2 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 2.29:1. 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 Hornsby?

Yes — 3,592 lots in Hornsby 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 Hornsby?

The median sale price in Hornsby over the past 24 months is $755,000, across 868 sales. Median unimproved land value is $1,280,000.

What's the median rent in Hornsby?

Median weekly rent for a house in Hornsby is $750. Gross rental yield works out to 5.2%.

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

The Council of the Shire of Hornsby decided 299 development applications for Hornsby addresses over the past 24 months, with 252 approved (84% 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 Hornsby?

Across Hornsby, 10% with heritage controls, 32.3% 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 Hornsby?

438 of 4,210 lots in Hornsby show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. 270 lots fall within a Transport Oriented Development corridor. Average rezoning signal score: 28.6 / 100.

5 Star Real Estate

Real estate agent · serves Hornsby, NSW

179 Peats Ferry Rd, Hornsby NSW 2077

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Get a planning report for any address in Hornsby

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 →