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

Port Kembla, NSW 2505 Zoning, development potential & planning controls

Low Density Residential dominant. Median sale $940K over the last 24 months. 88% of decided DAs approved.

Dominant zone
R2
Low Density Residential
Median sale (24m)
$940K
153 sales
DA approval rate
88%
105 of 119 approved
Total lots
2,358
Marketplace

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Zoning

What you can build in Port Kembla

Port Kembla 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 87.6%
E1 Local Centre 5.7%
E4 General Industrial 3.7%
RE1 Public Recreation 1.8%
E5 E5 1.1%
Avg max height
9.4 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
Residential79%
Commercial10%
Environment0%

Location

Where Port Kembla sits

Port Kembla 2505 covers an undefined area within Wollongong City Council.

Overlays © NSW Government
Council
Wollongong City Council
Postcode
2505
Area
Total lots
2,358

Drill into any lot in Port Kembla

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 Port Kembla

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

Underdeveloped
1,160

lots with remaining GFA capacity

granny flat eligible
1,809

under SEPP (Housing) 2021

Subdivision potential
1,389

lots that may support subdivision

Site assembly
2

adjoining lots with combined upside

Total dev potential
2,064 lots

show at least one development signal

Transport Oriented Dev
13 lots

within a TOD corridor (uplift expected)

Rezoning signal score
37.4 /100

average uplift signal across the suburb · 11 high-signal lots

Theoretical capacity if every lot built to its limit: 13,285 dwellings, with 770,074 m² of unused GFA across the suburb.

Own a property in Port Kembla?

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 Port Kembla

8% of lots are bushfire-prone — a bushfire assessment is likely required; also: 1% of lots carry heritage controls; 0.9% of lots intersect a Threatened Ecological Community; 0.1% of lots are exposed to projected sea-level rise.

Suburb-wide percentages — your specific lot may have all, some, or none of these.

Flood-affected None

Mapped flood-prone land

Bushfire-prone 8.2%

RFS bushfire-prone land mapping

Heritage controls 1.3%

Heritage item or Conservation Area

Near contaminated land 0.9%

Within 100 m of EPA-listed site

Threatened ecology (TEC) 0.9%

Mapped TEC vegetation

Sea-level rise exposure 0.1%

Coastal hazard mapping

Flight noise contour None

ANEF / aircraft noise

10 Star Pty. Ltd.

Architect · serves Port Kembla, NSW

1a Cowper St, Port Kembla NSW 2505

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Market

Port Kembla 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)
$940,000
153 sales · land value $687K
Median rent (house)
$595 / wk
Houses
Gross rental yield
3.3%
House, gross of costs

DA activity

Development applications in Port Kembla

119 development applications for Port Kembla addresses were decided by Wollongong City Council over the past 24 months. 105 approved — a 88% approval rate.

88%
Approved
DAs lodged (24m)
119
Approved
105
New dwelling DAs
198
Building approvals (12m)
42

Demographics & lifestyle

Who lives in Port Kembla

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

Green cover
33%
Amenity score
86.3 /100

Walkable amenity within 1 km

Healthcare access
78.6 /100

GP / hospital / pharmacy proximity

Lifestyle score
90.4 /100

Cafés, parks, schools, transport

FAQs

Common questions about Port Kembla

What's the zoning in Port Kembla 2505?

Port Kembla is dominated by the R2 (Low Density Residential) zone, which covers 1,852 of 2,358 lots (88%). The full mix is: R2 Low Density Residential (88%), E1 Local Centre (6%), E4 General Industrial (4%), RE1 Public Recreation (2%), E5 E5 (1%).

What's the height limit and FSR in Port Kembla?

Across Port Kembla, the average maximum building height is 9.4 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 Port Kembla?

Yes — 1,809 lots in Port Kembla 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 Port Kembla?

The median sale price in Port Kembla over the past 24 months is $940,000, across 153 sales. Median unimproved land value is $687,000.

What's the median rent in Port Kembla?

Median weekly rent for a house in Port Kembla is $595. Gross rental yield works out to 3.3%.

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

Wollongong City Council decided 119 development applications for Port Kembla addresses over the past 24 months, with 105 approved (88% 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 Port Kembla?

Across Port Kembla, 1% with heritage controls, 8.2% bushfire-prone, 0.9% 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 Port Kembla?

2,064 of 2,358 lots in Port Kembla show identifiable development potential — under-developed for the planning controls, eligible for a granny flat, or capable of subdivision. 13 lots fall within a Transport Oriented Development corridor. Average rezoning signal score: 37.4 / 100.

Above and Below Projects - Your Local Plumber

Plumber · serves Port Kembla, NSW

Unit 6/249 Shellharbour Rd, Port Kembla NSW 2505

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Get a planning report for any address in Port Kembla

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 →