Fernbrook zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Fernbrook
(Bellingen, NSW) - 42.97 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
42.97 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 Fernbrook's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Fernbrook
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: 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.
Fernbrook at a glance
How Fernbrook is zoned
Buying in Fernbrook? 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 42.97 km², Fernbrook 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 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 122,820 m² across 115 parcels.
Who lives in Fernbrook
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Fernbrook 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 982, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Fernbrook's 131 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Dorrigo, the wider ABS statistical area containing Fernbrook. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Fernbrook itself.
3,473 in 2001 to 3,250 in 2025, down 6%.
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.
Fernbrook 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 Fernbrook 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.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Fernbrook lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Fernbrook planning - frequently asked
Is Fernbrook flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Fernbrook, 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. Bellingen is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Fernbrook bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Fernbrook is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Bellingen average of 98%.
Is Fernbrook under a flight path?
No aircraft were observed over Fernbrook in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). Sampling is intermittent, so that is a floor rather than proof that none fly over. 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 Fernbrook?
The dominant planning zone in Fernbrook is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes Primary Production and Environmental Management.
Does Fernbrook have heritage-listed places?
Fernbrook has 2 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Fernbrook?
Across 115 surveyed parcels in Fernbrook, the median lot size is about 122,820 m².
What is the population of Fernbrook?
At the 2021 Census Fernbrook had 131 usual residents, with a median age of 58 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider Dorrigo statistical area, which contains Fernbrook, went from 3,473 people in 2001 to 3,250 in 2025, down 6%.
Is Fernbrook an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Fernbrook scores 982 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Fernbrook?
Median household income in Fernbrook was $1,271 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,268 for the typical suburb in Bellingen. Median rent was $330 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,107 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bielsdown Hills | 5.0 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Dorrigo | 6.8 km | Not mapped | 95% |
| Bostobrick | 7.7 km | 0% | 100% |
| Deer Vale | 8.4 km | 0% | 100% |
| Darkwood | 9.7 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| North Dorrigo | 9.8 km | 0% | 99% |
| Dorrigo Mountain | 10.8 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Tallowwood Ridge | 13.3 km | 0% | 100% |
| Moonpar Clarence Valley |
13.5 km | 0% | 100% |
| Megan | 15.9 km | Not mapped | 100% |