Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven · Region (SA4)
How much of daily life sits within a walk of home — a transparent 0–10 walkability score and the everyday destinations you can reach on foot: shops, public transport, schools, parks and health services, plus the streets and terrain in between.
Far fewer homes in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven are within easy reach of daily needs compared to the state average. This region is considered somewhat walkable, but only 42% of homes have the variety of services nearby that define a 15-minute city, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 71.9%.
All region (sa4) areas, 2021. The marker is Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven — somewhat walkable of areas.
| Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven | 4.1 |
|---|---|
| Rest of NSW | 4.6 |
| New South Wales | 6.2 |
Share of homes (G-NAF addresses) in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven by walking time to the nearest amenity of each type, on an elevation-aware pedestrian network. How we calculate this →
The overall walkability score and how much of daily life is a short walk away.
The walkability score for Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven is 4.1, making it somewhat walkable. This is well below the New South Wales figure of 6.2, and residents have access to far fewer amenity types within a 15-minute walk than the state average.
4.1
Somewhat walkable of region (sa4) areas.
A 0–10 score for how much of daily life sits within an easy walk of the average home — weighing how close groceries, public transport, cafés, parks, health services, schools, culture and everyday services are, and how many of each. Walking times are measured on an elevation-aware pedestrian network, so hills count against reach. The methodology page describes how the score is put together.
4.0
Lower than 74% of region (sa4) areas.
How many of the eight everyday amenity types — groceries, food & drink, health, schools, parks, culture, everyday services and public transport — the average home can reach on foot within 15 minutes, out of 8.
42.0%
Lower than 84% of region (sa4) areas.
Share of local homes that can reach at least five of the eight everyday amenity types within a 15-minute walk — the "15-minute city" test. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
How many homes can walk to groceries, transport, schools, parks and health services.
Public transport and parks are the most accessible amenities, with about 79% of homes within a short walk of both. However, access to other essentials is far below the state average, with only 30.3% of homes near health services and 39.7% near groceries.
39.7%
Lower than 87% of region (sa4) areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or everyday shopping. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
79.3%
Higher than 52% of region (sa4) areas.
Share of local homes within a 10-minute walk of a public-transport stop — bus, train, tram or ferry. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
40.9%
Lower than 88% of region (sa4) areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a school. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
79.4%
Lower than 62% of region (sa4) areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of a park or area of open space. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
30.3%
Lower than 86% of region (sa4) areas.
Share of local homes within a 15-minute walk of health services such as a GP, pharmacy or hospital. Homes are counted as addresses (G-NAF), not people.
Amenity density, how well the streets connect, and how hilly the walk is.
The area has a mean terrain slope of 6.2%, which is about the same as the New South Wales average. There are 3 intersections per square kilometre, and there are 16.9 walkable amenities per 1,000 residents, which is a little above the state figure.
16.9
Higher than 57% of region (sa4) areas.
Walkable amenities — shops, cafés, parks, health services, schools, cultural and community places, everyday services and public-transport stops — per 1,000 residents. Measures how much is around, apart from how far it is to walk there.
3
Lower than 67% of region (sa4) areas.
Walkable street intersections per square kilometre. Denser, better-connected street grids give more direct routes on foot than winding, cul-de-sac layouts.
6.2%
Higher than 65% of region (sa4) areas.
Average terrain slope across the area, as a percent grade. Steeper ground shortens how far people will walk; it is already folded into the walkability score through the elevation-aware pedestrian network, and is shown here on its own for context.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Walkability in Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa4/114/southern-highlands-and-shoalhaven/topic/walkability
