Barton flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Barton (Canberra Central, ACT) - 2.13 km², mapped from live district and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.

Planning schematicBarton

Constraint readout

2.13 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.

Flood overlay 37%

4.6× district avg (8%) · #2 of 25 mapped district suburbs

Modelled flood depth held over parts of Barton

Bushfire-prone 3%

below district avg (17%) · #15 of 25 mapped district suburbs

Environmental58%

1.7× district avg (34%) · #5 of 25 in district

Heritage sites 93 Noise corridor 100% Aircraft seen below 3,000 ft 66% Mostly Designated Flood 2nd most affected of 25 → Bushfire 15th most affected of 25 →

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Barton's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

Aircraft noise and flight paths over Barton

Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.

Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 3 Oct 2026

Under observed aircraft

100%

of the suburb, at or below 10,000 ft

Below 3,000 ft

66%

of the suburb's area

Lowest measured

2,500 ft

averaging 3,000 ft

Busiest square

~2 a day

2 a day below 3,000 ft · ±14% · area average
typical observed square 1 a day

Night movements: observed, lowest 3,500 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.

Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.

Barton at a glance

Parcels 147 Median lot 1,120 m² Mapped easements 90 Bus stops 9

How Barton is zoned

Designated 80%

Suburban 7%

Urban Open Space 5%

Community Facilities 3%

Mixed Use 2%

Medium Density Residential 1%

Buying in Barton? The Territory Plan zone on this page sits alongside the Crown lease, which sets what a block may actually be used for.

Across its 2.13 km², Barton is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 37% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 3% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 93 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Designated. The median lot measures about 1,120 m² across 147 parcels.

Who lives in Barton

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Barton suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population

1,946

usual residents, 2021

Median age

years

Median household income

$2,462

per week, Canberra Central suburb typical $2,434

Median rent

$525

per week, Canberra Central suburb typical $471

Median mortgage

$2,015

per month

Household size

1.7

people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10

most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1185, and decile 10 within the Australian Capital Territory. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10

most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Barton's 1,946 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.8%

5-14 4.6%

15-19 2.0%

20-24 6.5%

25-34 26.5%

35-44 14.9%

45-54 13.4%

55-64 12.3%

65-74 11.9%

75-84 4.5%

85+ 0.6%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Barton, the wider ABS statistical area containing Barton. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Barton itself.

496 in 2001 to 2,144 in 2025, up 332%.

Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.

Barton data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

Dataset	Coverage	Publisher
Flood mapping	Mapped	the ACT Territory Plan and ACT Government spatial data
Bushfire-prone mapping	Mapped	the ACT Territory Plan and ACT Government spatial data
Zoning	Mapped	the ACT Territory Plan and ACT Government spatial data
Heritage and environment	Mapped where published	the ACT Territory Plan and ACT Government spatial data
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)	Not held	the ACT Territory Plan and ACT Government spatial data, Defence
Observed flight paths	Observed	adsb.lol, under the Open Database License
Demographics	Available	Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 3 October 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Barton address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 66% of Barton. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Published flood models are held over parts of Barton. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.

See what's in the $9 report →

Barton planning - frequently asked

Is Barton flood-prone?

About 37% of Barton falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the district-wide suburb average of 8%. Published flood models are held over parts of Barton; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.

Is Barton bushfire-prone?

Around 3% of Barton is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Canberra Central average of 17%.

Is Barton under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 66% of Barton, and over about 100% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 3 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 2,500 ft, with an average of 3,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 2 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.

What is the zoning in Barton?

The dominant planning zone in Barton is Designated, though the suburb also includes Suburban and Urban Open Space.

Does Barton have heritage-listed places?

Barton has 93 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Barton?

Across 147 surveyed parcels in Barton, the median lot size is about 1,120 m². There are also 90 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Barton have a train station?

There is no train station inside Barton itself. The suburb is served by 9 bus stops.

What is the population of Barton?

At the 2021 Census Barton had 1,946 usual residents, with a median age of 39 and an average household size of 1.7 people. The wider Barton statistical area, which contains Barton, went from 496 people in 2001 to 2,144 in 2025, up 332%.

Is Barton an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Barton scores 1185 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within the Australian Capital Territory (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Barton?

Median household income in Barton was $2,462 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,434 for the typical suburb in Canberra Central. Median rent was $525 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,015 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburb	Distance	Flood mapped	Bushfire-prone
Kingston	1.1 km	12%	9%
Capital Hill	1.2 km	0%	0%
Parkes	1.4 km	34%	0%
Forrest	1.5 km	0%	1%
Russell	1.6 km	0%	25%
Griffith	2.1 km	0%	0%
Campbell	2.7 km	3%	39%
Reid	2.8 km	0%	<1%
City	3.0 km	0%	0%
Red Hill	3.1 km	0%	47%

See all Canberra Central suburb profiles →