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

Brownsville, NSW 2530 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $530K over the last 24 months. 100% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$530K
27 sales
DA approval rate
100%
5 of 5 approved
Total lots
182
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Brownsville

Brownsville 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 90.0%
C3 Commercial Core 6.7%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.7%
E1 Local Centre 1.1%
W2 Recreational Waterways 0.6%
Avg max height
9.0 m

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

Avg max FSR
0.50:1

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

Use mix
Residential89%
Commercial1%
Environment7%
Rural1%

Location

Where Brownsville sits

Brownsville 2530 covers an undefined area within Wollongong City Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Wollongong City Council
Postcode
2530
Area
Total lots
182

Drill into any lot in Brownsville

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 Brownsville

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

Underdeveloped
88

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
160

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
149

lots that may support subdivision

Total dev potential
165 lots

show at least one development signal

Rezoning signal score
23.2 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 1,219 dwellings, with 80,693 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

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Constraints & risks

What could stop you in Brownsville

14% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 11% of lots carry heritage controls; 1.6% 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 14.3%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 11.0%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.5%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 1.6%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure None

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

Market

Brownsville 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)
$530,000
27 sales · land value $514K
Median rent (house)
$573 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
5.4%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Brownsville

5 development applications for Brownsville addresses were decided by Wollongong City Council over the past 24 months. 5 approved — a 100% approval rate.

100%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
5
Approved
5
New dwelling DAs
4
Building approvals (12m)
42

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Brownsville

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

Green cover
43%
Amenity score
58.6 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
46.1 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
68.3 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

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FAQs

Common questions about Brownsville

What's the zoning in Brownsville 2530?

Brownsville is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 162 of 182 lots (90%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (90%), C3 Commercial Core (7%), RE1 Public Recreation (2%), E1 Local Centre (1%), W2 Recreational Waterways (1%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Brownsville?

Across Brownsville, the average maximum building height is 9.0 m and the average maximum Floor Space Ratio (FSR) is 0.50:1. 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 Brownsville?

Yes — 160 lots in Brownsville 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 Brownsville?

The median sale price in Brownsville over the past 24 months is $530,000, across 27 sales. Median unimproved land value is $514,000.

What's the median rent in Brownsville?

Median weekly rent for a house in Brownsville is $573. Gross rental yield works out to 5.4%.

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

Wollongong City Council decided 5 development applications for Brownsville addresses over the past 24 months, with 5 approved (100% 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 Brownsville?

Across Brownsville, 11% with heritage controls, 14.3% bushfire-prone, 0.5% 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 Brownsville?

165 of 182 lots in Brownsville show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. Average rezoning signal score: 23.2 / 100.

Get a planning report for any address in Brownsville

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 Wollongong 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 →