Beresfield flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Beresfield
(Newcastle, NSW) - 6.3 km², mapped from live council 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.
Constraint readout
6.3 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Beresfield'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 Beresfield
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
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 1,500 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.
Beresfield at a glance
How Beresfield is zoned
Buying in Beresfield? 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 6.3 km², Beresfield is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 24% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 38% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is General Industrial. The median lot measures about 656 m² across 1,793 parcels.
Who lives in Beresfield
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Beresfield 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 880, and decile 1 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Beresfield's 3,267 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Beresfield - Hexham, the wider ABS statistical area containing Beresfield. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Beresfield itself.
8,815 in 2001 to 8,732 in 2025, down 1%.
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.
Beresfield 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 | 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 Beresfield 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 34% of Beresfield. 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 Beresfield lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Beresfield planning - frequently asked
Is Beresfield flood-prone?
About 24% of Beresfield falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 39%.
Is Beresfield bushfire-prone?
Around 38% of Beresfield is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Newcastle average of 24%.
Is Beresfield under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 34% of Beresfield, and over about 58% 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 1,000 ft, with an average of 3,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 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 Beresfield?
The dominant planning zone in Beresfield is General Industrial, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Infrastructure.
Does Beresfield have heritage-listed places?
Beresfield has 2 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Beresfield?
Across 1,793 surveyed parcels in Beresfield, the median lot size is about 656 m². There are also 10 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Beresfield have a train station?
Yes - Beresfield has 1 train station: Beresfield Station. It is also served by 59 bus stops.
What is the population of Beresfield?
At the 2021 Census Beresfield had 3,267 usual residents, with a median age of 39 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Beresfield - Hexham statistical area, which contains Beresfield, went from 8,815 people in 2001 to 8,732 in 2025, down 1%.
Is Beresfield an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Beresfield scores 880 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Beresfield?
Median household income in Beresfield was $1,257 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,818 for the typical suburb in Newcastle. Median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,484 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton Maitland |
2.0 km | 23% | 70% |
| Black Hill Cessnock |
2.9 km | 22% | 94% |
| Woodberry Maitland |
3.1 km | 82% | 81% |
| Tarro | 3.1 km | 86% | 58% |
| Ashtonfield Maitland |
4.9 km | Not mapped | 75% |
| Metford Maitland |
5.1 km | 0% | 41% |
| Lenaghan | 5.3 km | 56% | 100% |
| Chisholm Maitland |
5.6 km | 20% | 43% |
| Hexham | 5.6 km | 97% | 89% |
| Berry Park Maitland |
6.9 km | 75% | 95% |