Callaghan flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Callaghan (Newcastle, NSW) - 1.43 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 2 October 2026.

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

Planning schematicCallaghan

Constraint readout

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

Flood overlay 4%

below council avg (39%) · #45 of 51 mapped council suburbs

Modelled flood depth held over parts of Callaghan

Bushfire-prone 55%

2.3× council avg (24%) · #8 of 51 mapped council suburbs

Environmental0%

below council avg (14%) · #28 of 51 in council

Heritage sites 0 Aircraft seen below 3,000 ft 79% Mostly Infrastructure Flood 45th most affected of 51 → Bushfire 8th most affected of 51 →

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Callaghan'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 Callaghan

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 25 Sep 2026

Under observed aircraft

79%

of the suburb, at or below 10,000 ft

Below 3,000 ft

79%

of the suburb's area

Lowest measured

500 ft

averaging 2,500 ft

Busiest square

~1 a day

1 a day below 3,000 ft · ±28% · area average
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.

Callaghan at a glance

Parcels 25 Median lot 6,484 m² Mapped easements 5 Train Warabrook Station Bus stops 24

How Callaghan is zoned

Infrastructure 95%

Private Recreation 4%

Public Recreation 0%

Low Density Residential 0%

Environmental Management 0%

Buying in Callaghan? 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 1.43 km², Callaghan is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 4% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 55% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Infrastructure. The median lot measures about 6,484 m² across 25 parcels.

Who lives in Callaghan

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

Population

1,358

usual residents, 2021

Median age

years

Age profile

Share of Callaghan's 1,358 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 0.0%

5-14 0.0%

15-19 45.5%

20-24 52.1%

25-34 2.1%

35-44 0.3%

45-54 0.0%

55-64 0.0%

65-74 0.0%

75-84 0.0%

85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

9,447 in 2001 to 14,339 in 2025, up 52%.

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.

Callaghan 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 2 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 Callaghan 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 79% of Callaghan. 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 Callaghan. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Callaghan lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Callaghan planning - frequently asked

Is Callaghan flood-prone?

About 4% of Callaghan falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 39%. Published flood models are held over parts of Callaghan; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.

Is Callaghan bushfire-prone?

Around 55% of Callaghan is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Newcastle average of 24%.

Is Callaghan under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 79% of Callaghan, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 25 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,500 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 Callaghan?

The dominant planning zone in Callaghan is Infrastructure, though the suburb also includes Private Recreation and Public Recreation.

Does Callaghan have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Callaghan.

What is the typical lot size in Callaghan?

Across 25 surveyed parcels in Callaghan, the median lot size is about 6,484 m². There are also 5 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Callaghan have a train station?

Yes - Callaghan has 1 train station: Warabrook Station. It is also served by 24 bus stops.

What is the population of Callaghan?

At the 2021 Census Callaghan had 1,358 usual residents, with a median age of 20. The wider Shortland - Jesmond statistical area, which contains Callaghan, went from 9,447 people in 2001 to 14,339 in 2025, up 52%.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburb	Distance	Flood mapped	Bushfire-prone
Birmingham Gardens	1.1 km	16%	2%
Warabrook	1.2 km	13%	2%
Waratah West	1.4 km	<1%	38%
North Lambton	1.4 km	4%	22%
Jesmond	1.6 km	24%	7%
Shortland	2.1 km	48%	41%
Mayfield West	2.3 km	4%	<1%
Sandgate	2.4 km	59%	42%
Lambton	2.6 km	17%	25%
Waratah	2.7 km	22%	5%

See all Newcastle suburb profiles →