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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
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Population
Woodberry has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch
As per AreaSearch's analysis using ABS population updates and validated new addresses, the estimated population of the suburb of Woodberry was approximately 3,050 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase from the 2021 Census total of 3,024 people, marking a rise of 26 individuals (0.9%). The estimation is based on AreaSearch's resident population count of 3,046 from June 2025 ERP data release by ABS and four additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 363 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 55% to recent population gains in Woodberry.
AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts and aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Woodberry is anticipated to grow by 41 persons by 2041, reflecting a total increase of approximately 1.2% over the 16-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Woodberry
Woodberry has seen minimal development activity, averaging less than one approval per year between 2013 and 2017. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest, and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly based on individual projects.
Woodberry has notably less construction activity than the Rest of NSW. The development pattern in Woodberry is also below national averages.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Woodberry
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Woodberry has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally
Seven projects identified by AreaSearch are anticipated to influence the local area's performance significantly. These include Beresfield Industrial Park Expansion, Beresfield Residential Precinct, M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace, and Thornton Rail Bridge Duplication. The following details these projects in order of likely relevance.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Raymond Terrace Place Plan
Port Stephens Council is developing a Raymond Terrace Place Plan to replace the 2015 Raymond Terrace and Heatherbrae Strategy. The new plan responds to major infrastructure investment, housing reforms and shifting community priorities. It targets approximately 2,500 new dwellings with a focus on diverse housing types including townhouses, smaller units and affordable living options. The plan covers town centre revitalisation, public space improvements, safety and connectivity upgrades, and includes a Public Domain Plan for William Street and surrounding areas. Heatherbrae is being considered separately given its relationship to the M1 Pacific Motorway Extension by Transport for NSW.
Maitland Local Housing Strategy 2041
The Maitland Local Housing Strategy 2041 is a comprehensive framework adopted by Council in June 2023 and endorsed by the NSW Government in September 2024. It manages residential growth to accommodate a projected population increase of 54,800 residents by 2041, requiring approximately 25,200 additional dwellings. The strategy prioritises housing diversity, infill development, and the 15-minute neighbourhood concept, seeking to shift from a 90:10 greenfield-to-infill ratio toward the Hunter Regional Plan target of 20:80 by 2041. Implementation milestones include the Residential Density Guide placed on public exhibition in March 2025, and the East Maitland Catalyst Area Structure Plan endorsed for public exhibition in October 2025, estimating 4,000 new homes for that precinct alone.
Maitland Mental Health Rehabilitation Project
A purpose-built 64-bed mental health facility on the Maitland Hospital campus. It features a transitional model of care with three inpatient units: low-secure and medium-secure forensic units, and a rehabilitation and recovery unit. Designed by Bates Smart, the facility includes single bedrooms with ensuites, shared therapy spaces, and nature-integrated outdoor areas. The project serves to relocate and expand forensic services from the Morisset Hospital campus to a contemporary setting. Construction officially commenced with a sod-turning ceremony on March 12, 2026, led by Richard Crookes Constructions.
M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace
A 2.24 billion dollar, 15-kilometre dual carriageway motorway extension from Black Hill to Raymond Terrace, bypassing Hexham and Heatherbrae and finally fixing the Pacific Motorway's missing link. The northern 5-kilometre Heatherbrae Bypass is now complete, including the Raymond Terrace interchange, the Masonite Road overpass and the Windeyers Creek bridge. Work continues on the 10-kilometre southern section from Black Hill to Tomago, where 10 of 11 bridge decks have been poured and the 2.6-kilometre viaduct over the Hunter River, New England Highway and Main North Rail Line is taking shape with girders being installed over water. The full motorway is now on track to open in late 2026, more than a year ahead of the original 2028 schedule. The project includes four new interchanges at Black Hill, Tarro, Tomago and Raymond Terrace, removes five sets of traffic lights, and is expected to cut up to 9 minutes from peak travel times. Jointly funded with 1.792 billion from the Albanese Government and 448 million from the Minns Government.
Stony Pinch Urban Development
A long-term conceptual urban transformation initiative covering the post-mining repurposing of the Bloomfield Colliery and adjoining landholdings southeast of Maitland in the Lower Hunter. The Stony Pinch Group is a consortium formed under a legal agreement between major landowners in the area - The Bloomfield Group, Ashtonfields and Yancoal (which acquired the adjoining Donaldson site) - to coordinate future land use and development outcomes across their combined holdings. Earlier conceptual structure planning referenced in Bloomfield's Modification 4 environmental assessment envisaged a substantial mixed-use precinct extending from John Renshaw Drive towards East Maitland, including residential, town centre, employment lands, and recreation, with significant bushland retention. The site sits within the Hunter Regional Plan 2041 'Four Mile Creek Precinct', which is identified for employment uses leveraging access to the M1 Pacific Motorway and rail, the repurposing of existing infrastructure to support transition to new uses, and the conservation of high environmental value lands. Bloomfield Colliery currently operates under Project Approval 07_0087 with mining permitted until 31 December 2030. A Modification 5 (Bloomfield Colliery Continuation Project) is under assessment by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and the Commonwealth under the EPBC Act, seeking to extend mining to 31 December 2035, reduce the production rate to 0.9 Mtpa, and amend the approved final landform. The Environmental Impact Statement was on public exhibition from 22 April to 20 May 2025, and a Response to Submissions report was lodged in September 2025. The currently approved final land use is grazing pasture; any future urban development would require separate planning approvals through Maitland and Cessnock Councils and the NSW Government.
Tomago Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
A 500 MW / 2,000 MWh grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) developed by AGL to improve grid reliability and support the transition to net-zero emissions in the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone. The battery has grid-forming capability and is one of Australia's largest BESS developments. Construction commenced recently following a Final Investment Decision (FID) in July 2025. The total construction cost is estimated to be approximately A$800 million. The project will create around 200 jobs during construction and 6 full-time operational jobs.
Thornton Rail Bridge Duplication
Duplication of the existing Thornton rail bridge to alleviate peak hour congestion and provide a flood-free route connecting northern Maitland to the M1, Pacific Highway and Hunter Expressway. Transport for NSW is currently undertaking early works including road surface surveys to inform design solutions. The project will ease congestion for the 7000 new residents and 3500 new jobs expected in the region over the next 20 years.
Wirraway Thornton
A completed 511-lot residential development spanning 58 hectares in the lower Hunter Valley, creating a parkland community with quality homes for Defence families and the public. Features 16 hectares of open spaces, cycle tracks, Wirraway Park with aviation-themed playground, half-sized basketball court, fitness station, and community amenities. Now home to over 500 families including 250 Defence families.
Employment
Employment conditions in Woodberry face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally
Woodberry has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent. Unemployment rate is 12.8% as per AreaSearch's statistical area aggregation.
As of December 2025, 1,192 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 8.9% higher than Regional NSW's 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 56.3%, below Regional NSW's 60.5%. Only 9.7% of residents work from home, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Key industries are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.
Manufacturing employment is notably high, at 1.8 times the regional average. Education & training, however, is underrepresented with only 4.5% compared to Regional NSW's 9.6%. Local employment opportunities appear limited based on resident vs working population counts. Between December 2024 and December 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.6%, while employment declined by 3.9%, leading to a 4.1 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. This contrasts with Regional NSW where employment contracted by 1.2%, labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Woodberry's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
The median taxpayer income in Woodberry is $50,871 and the average is $59,140 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is lower than national averages, with Regional NSW having a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. By March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $56,121 (median) and $65,243 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Woodberry fall between the 9th and 12th percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 30.3% of residents (924 people), similar to surrounding regions where 29.9% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 11th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Woodberry is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Woodberry's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.4% houses and 3.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Regional NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woodberry was at 27.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.2% and rented ones at 34.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Woodberry was $1,300, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Woodberry was recorded at $320, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Woodberry's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Woodberry has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 72.6% of all households, including 23.5% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 22.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 27.4%, with lone person households at 23.7% and group households making up 3.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Woodberry faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally
The area's university qualification rate is 6.8%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 5.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (0.5%) and graduate diplomas (0.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.6% and certificates at 32.3%.
Educational participation is high, with 29.1% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.9% in primary, 8.6% in secondary, and 2.9% in tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Woodberry has 30 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 28 unique routes, offering a total of 418 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living just 110 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Woodberry being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation, used by 94% of residents. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, only 9.7% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 59 trips per day, translating to about 13 weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Woodberry is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts
Woodberry faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, affecting various age groups.
Approximately 50% of Woodberry's population (~1,535 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, impacting 11.8% and 11.1% of residents respectively. However, 57.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Woodberry has 15.8% of residents aged 65 and over (481 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally in line with national rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
The latest Census data sees Woodberry placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics
Woodberry's population was found to be predominantly Australian-born, with 91.9% having been born in Australia. This is lower than the regional average of 82.7%. A high proportion, 92.5%, were citizens, and 96.3% spoke English only at home.
Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 54.1% of Woodberry's population, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. The top three ancestry groups in Woodberry were Australian (34.3%), English (30.8%), and Australian Aboriginal (10.4%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 4.6%. Notably, Maori (0.9%) and Samoan (0.3%) populations were overrepresented compared to Regional NSW's averages of 0.3% and 0.1%, respectively. The Welsh population also stood out at 0.6%, slightly higher than the regional average of 0.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Woodberry's population is slightly younger than the national pattern
Woodberry's median age is 35 years, which is significantly below Regional NSW's average of 43 and somewhat younger than Australia's median of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in Woodberry at 16.4%, compared to the regional average, while those aged 65-74 are under-represented at 8.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has grown from 14.4% to 16.4%, and the 35 to 44 cohort has increased from 10.4% to 12.3%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 group has declined from 12.0% to 10.4%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 15.0% to 13.9%. Demographic modeling indicates that Woodberry's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow strongly at 16%, adding 78 residents to reach a total of 579. Meanwhile, both the 65-74 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to decrease in number.