Fernhill flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Fernhill
(Wollongong, NSW) - 0.37 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
0.37 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Fernhill'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 Fernhill
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.
Fernhill at a glance
How Fernhill is zoned
Buying in Fernhill? 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 0.37 km², Fernhill is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. About 8% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 684 m² across 392 parcels.
Who lives in Fernhill
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Fernhill 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 936, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Fernhill's 987 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Balgownie - Fairy Meadow, the wider ABS statistical area containing Fernhill. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Fernhill itself.
19,963 in 2001 to 22,303 in 2025, up 12%.
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.
Fernhill 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 Fernhill 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 82% of Fernhill. 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 Fernhill. 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 Fernhill lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Fernhill planning - frequently asked
Is Fernhill flood-prone?
About 8% of Fernhill falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 12%. Published flood models are held over parts of Fernhill; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Fernhill bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Fernhill and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Wollongong average is 56%).
Is Fernhill under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 82% of Fernhill, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 1,000 ft, with an average of 5,000 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 Fernhill?
The dominant planning zone in Fernhill is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes General Industrial and Public Recreation.
Does Fernhill have heritage-listed places?
Fernhill has 2 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Fernhill?
Across 392 surveyed parcels in Fernhill, the median lot size is about 684 m². There are also 2 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Fernhill have a train station?
There is no train station inside Fernhill itself. The suburb is served by 12 bus stops.
What is the population of Fernhill?
At the 2021 Census Fernhill had 987 usual residents, with a median age of 45 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Balgownie - Fairy Meadow statistical area, which contains Fernhill, went from 19,963 people in 2001 to 22,303 in 2025, up 12%.
Is Fernhill an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Fernhill scores 936 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Fernhill?
Median household income in Fernhill was $1,107 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $190 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towradgi | 1.3 km | 27% | 1% |
| Fairy Meadow | 1.4 km | 50% | 1% |
| Tarrawanna | 1.6 km | 8% | 71% |
| Corrimal | 1.6 km | 14% | 39% |
| Balgownie | 1.8 km | 22% | 51% |
| Mount Ousley | 2.1 km | 19% | 26% |
| East Corrimal | 2.1 km | 28% | 19% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.4 km | 16% | 76% |
| North Wollongong | 2.4 km | 64% | 33% |
| Bellambi | 3.1 km | 22% | 21% |