Ashtonfield zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Ashtonfield
(Maitland, NSW) - 6.78 km², mapped from live council 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
6.78 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 Ashtonfield'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 Ashtonfield
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 2 Oct 2026
Night movements: observed, lowest 1,000 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.
Ashtonfield at a glance
How Ashtonfield is zoned
Buying in Ashtonfield? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.
Across its 6.78 km², Ashtonfield 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, 75% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 801 m² across 1,636 parcels.
Who lives in Ashtonfield
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Ashtonfield 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 1021, and decile 7 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Ashtonfield's 4,589 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of East Maitland - Metford, the wider ABS statistical area containing Ashtonfield. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Ashtonfield itself.
14,674 in 2001 to 18,334 in 2025, up 25%.
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.
Ashtonfield 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 | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, 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 Ashtonfield 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 48% of Ashtonfield. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Ashtonfield lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Ashtonfield planning - frequently asked
Is Ashtonfield flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Ashtonfield, 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. Maitland is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Ashtonfield bushfire-prone?
Around 75% of Ashtonfield is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Maitland average of 80%.
Is Ashtonfield under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 48% of Ashtonfield, and over about 62% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,500 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 Ashtonfield?
The dominant planning zone in Ashtonfield is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes General Residential and Environmental Management.
Does Ashtonfield have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Ashtonfield.
What is the typical lot size in Ashtonfield?
Across 1,636 surveyed parcels in Ashtonfield, the median lot size is about 801 m².
Does Ashtonfield have a train station?
There is no train station inside Ashtonfield itself. The suburb is served by 67 bus stops.
What is the population of Ashtonfield?
At the 2021 Census Ashtonfield had 4,589 usual residents, with a median age of 39 and an average household size of 2.8 people. The wider East Maitland - Metford statistical area, which contains Ashtonfield, went from 14,674 people in 2001 to 18,334 in 2025, up 25%.
Is Ashtonfield an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Ashtonfield scores 1021 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 7 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Ashtonfield?
Median household income in Ashtonfield was $2,148 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,015 for the typical suburb in Maitland. Median rent was $440 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,950 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metford | 1.6 km | 0% | 41% |
| East Maitland | 2.4 km | 27% | 55% |
| Thornton | 3.8 km | 23% | 70% |
| Tenambit | 4.0 km | 26% | 34% |
| Chisholm | 4.3 km | 20% | 43% |
| Beresfield Newcastle |
4.9 km | 24% | 38% |
| South Maitland | 4.9 km | 100% | 70% |
| Louth Park | 5.0 km | 69% | 90% |
| Black Hill Cessnock |
5.1 km | 22% | 94% |
| Pitnacree | 5.3 km | 100% | 98% |