Downer flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Downer
(Canberra Central, ACT) - 1.64 km², mapped from live district and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
1.64 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Downer'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 Downer
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
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
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.
Downer at a glance
How Downer is zoned
Buying in Downer? The Territory Plan zone on this page sits alongside the Crown lease, which sets what a block may actually be used for.
Across its 1.64 km², Downer is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay. There are 8 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Suburban. The median lot measures about 748 m² across 1,352 parcels.
Who lives in Downer
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Downer suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 1087, and decile 5 within the Australian Capital Territory. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Downer's 4,296 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Downer, the wider ABS statistical area containing Downer. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Downer itself.
3,429 in 2001 to 4,556 in 2025, up 33%.
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.
Downer 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 Downer 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 15% of Downer. 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 Downer. 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 →Downer planning - frequently asked
Is Downer flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Downer and less than 1% of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the district-wide suburb average is 8%). Published flood models are held over parts of Downer; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Downer bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Downer and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Canberra Central average is 17%).
Is Downer under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 15% of Downer, 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 3,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 3 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 Downer?
The dominant planning zone in Downer is Suburban, though the suburb also includes Transport and Urban Open Space.
Does Downer have heritage-listed places?
Downer has 8 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Downer?
Across 1,352 surveyed parcels in Downer, the median lot size is about 748 m². There are also 1,570 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Downer have a train station?
There is no train station inside Downer itself. The suburb is served by 19 bus stops.
What is the population of Downer?
At the 2021 Census Downer had 4,296 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Downer statistical area, which contains Downer, went from 3,429 people in 2001 to 4,556 in 2025, up 33%.
Is Downer an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Downer scores 1087 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within the Australian Capital Territory (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Downer?
Median household income in Downer was $2,267 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,434 for the typical suburb in Canberra Central. Median rent was $420 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dickson | 1.4 km | 3% | 0% |
| Watson | 1.5 km | <1% | 44% |
| Lyneham | 1.7 km | 5% | 23% |
| Hackett | 2.0 km | 0% | 41% |
| Ainslie | 2.5 km | <1% | 32% |
| Mitchell Gungahlin |
2.7 km | <1% | 55% |
| O'Connor | 2.9 km | 3% | 41% |
| Turner | 3.0 km | 3% | 0% |
| Braddon | 3.1 km | 0% | <1% |
| Kaleen Belconnen |
3.4 km | <1% | 34% |