Tharwa zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Tharwa
(Paddys River, ACT) - 3.97 km², mapped from live district and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
3.97 km² - this suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Tharwa's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Tharwa
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
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.
Tharwa at a glance
How Tharwa is zoned
Buying in Tharwa? The Territory Plan zone on this page sits alongside the Crown lease, which sets what a block may actually be used for.
Across its 3.97 km², Tharwa is highly constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 29 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Hills, Ridges and Buffer Areas. The median lot measures about 2,023 m² across 46 parcels.
Who lives in Tharwa
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Tharwa 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 1045, and decile 2 within the Australian Capital Territory. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Tharwa's 82 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of ACT - South West, the wider ABS statistical area containing Tharwa. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Tharwa itself.
410 in 2001 to 561 in 2025, up 37%.
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.
Tharwa data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Not 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 Tharwa 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.
The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
See what's in the $9 report →Tharwa planning - frequently asked
Is Tharwa flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Tharwa, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. The ACT planning authority is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Tharwa bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Tharwa is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Paddys River average of 100%.
Is Tharwa under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 16% of Tharwa in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 3,000 ft. 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 Tharwa?
The dominant planning zone in Tharwa is Hills, Ridges and Buffer Areas, though the suburb also includes River Corridor and Rural.
Does Tharwa have heritage-listed places?
Tharwa has 29 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Tharwa?
Across 46 surveyed parcels in Tharwa, the median lot size is about 2,023 m². There are also 19 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
What is the population of Tharwa?
At the 2021 Census Tharwa had 82 usual residents, with a median age of 32 and an average household size of 2.8 people. The wider ACT - South West statistical area, which contains Tharwa, went from 410 people in 2001 to 561 in 2025, up 37%.
Is Tharwa an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Tharwa scores 1045 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 2 within the Australian Capital Territory (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Tharwa?
Median household income in Tharwa was $2,150 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,150 for the typical suburb in Paddys River. Median rent was $187 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,759 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banks Tuggeranong |
5.4 km | Not mapped | 30% |
| Gordon Tuggeranong |
6.0 km | Not mapped | 33% |
| Conder Tuggeranong |
6.7 km | 0% | 56% |
| Bonython Tuggeranong |
8.4 km | 0% | 59% |
| Calwell Tuggeranong |
8.4 km | 1% | 27% |
| Theodore Tuggeranong |
8.4 km | <1% | 59% |
| Isabella Plains Tuggeranong |
9.3 km | 9% | 11% |
| Richardson Tuggeranong |
10.1 km | 3% | 29% |
| Greenway Tuggeranong |
10.3 km | 15% | 46% |
| Monash Tuggeranong |
10.7 km | 8% | 15% |