Chatswood zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Chatswood (Willoughby, NSW) - 4.92 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is moderately 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.

Planning schematicChatswood

Constraint readout

4.92 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.

Flood overlay Not mapped

No flood mapping held for this area - not an all-clear

Bushfire-prone 13%

below council avg (26%) · #6 of 12 mapped council suburbs

Environmental5%

below council avg (13%) · #7 of 12 in council

Heritage sites 101 Aircraft seen below 3,000 ft 90% Mostly Low Density Residential Bushfire 6th most affected of 12 →

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Chatswood'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 Chatswood

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

Under observed aircraft

95%

of the suburb, at or below 10,000 ft

Below 3,000 ft

90%

of the suburb's area

Lowest measured

500 ft

averaging 3,000 ft

Busiest square

~7 a day

3 a day below 3,000 ft · ±29%
typical observed square 1 a day

Night movements: observed, lowest 2,500 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.

Chatswood at a glance

Parcels 4,378 Median lot 586 m² Mapped easements 23 Train Chatswood Station Bus stops 186

How Chatswood is zoned

Low Density Residential 49%

Environmental Living 7%

Commercial Centre 7%

Mixed Use 6%

Medium Density Residential 6%

Environmental Conservation 5%

Buying in Chatswood? 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 4.92 km², Chatswood is moderately 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, 13% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 101 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 586 m² across 4,378 parcels.

Who lives in Chatswood

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

Population

25,553

usual residents, 2021

Median age

years

Median household income

$2,158

per week, Willoughby suburb typical $3,196

Median rent

$577

per week, Willoughby suburb typical $671

Median mortgage

$2,858

per month

Household size

2.5

people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10

most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1113, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7

most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Chatswood's 25,553 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.0%

5-14 11.7%

15-19 4.8%

20-24 6.2%

25-34 16.6%

35-44 18.1%

45-54 12.9%

55-64 9.5%

65-74 8.2%

75-84 4.5%

85+ 2.5%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

11,939 in 2001 to 21,644 in 2025, up 81%.

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.

Chatswood 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 Chatswood 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 90% of Chatswood. 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 Chatswood. 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 Chatswood lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Chatswood planning - frequently asked

Is Chatswood flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Chatswood, 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. Willoughby is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Chatswood; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.

Is Chatswood bushfire-prone?

Around 13% of Chatswood is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Willoughby average of 26%.

Is Chatswood under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 90% of Chatswood, and over about 95% 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 3,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 7 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 Chatswood?

The dominant planning zone in Chatswood is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living and Commercial Centre.

Does Chatswood have heritage-listed places?

Chatswood has 101 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Chatswood?

Across 4,378 surveyed parcels in Chatswood, the median lot size is about 586 m². There are also 23 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Chatswood have a train station?

Yes - Chatswood has 1 train station: Chatswood Station. It is also served by 186 bus stops.

What is the population of Chatswood?

At the 2021 Census Chatswood had 25,553 usual residents, with a median age of 37 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Chatswood - East statistical area, which contains Chatswood, went from 11,939 people in 2001 to 21,644 in 2025, up 81%.

Is Chatswood an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Chatswood scores 1113 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Chatswood?

Median household income in Chatswood was $2,158 a week at the 2021 Census, against $3,196 for the typical suburb in Willoughby. Median rent was $577 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,858 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburb	Distance	Flood mapped	Bushfire-prone
Roseville Ku-Ring-Gai	1.5 km	3%	14%
Chatswood West	1.7 km	Not mapped	62%
North Willoughby	1.8 km	Not mapped	0%
Artarmon	1.8 km	Not mapped	6%
Lane Cove North Lane Cove	2.1 km	Not mapped	32%
Willoughby	2.1 km	Not mapped	<1%
Willoughby East	2.3 km	Not mapped	0%
Lindfield Ku-Ring-Gai	2.6 km	2%	41%
Middle Cove	2.8 km	Not mapped	74%
Lane Cove Lane Cove	2.9 km	Not mapped	10%

See all Willoughby suburb profiles →