Fernside flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Fernside
(Lismore, NSW) - 15.71 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
15.71 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Fernside'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 Fernside
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.
Fernside at a glance
How Fernside is zoned
Buying in Fernside? 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 15.71 km², Fernside is moderately constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 31% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 59,228 m² across 64 parcels.
Who lives in Fernside
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Fernside 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 963, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Fernside's 55 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Lismore Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Fernside. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Fernside itself.
14,249 in 2001 to 16,160 in 2025, up 13%.
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.
Fernside 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 Fernside 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.
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 Fernside lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Fernside planning - frequently asked
Is Fernside flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Fernside and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 46%).
Is Fernside bushfire-prone?
Around 31% of Fernside is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lismore average of 33%.
Is Fernside under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 7% of Fernside in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 6,000 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 Fernside?
The dominant planning zone in Fernside is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Natural Waterways.
Does Fernside have heritage-listed places?
Fernside has 3 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Fernside?
Across 64 surveyed parcels in Fernside, the median lot size is about 59,228 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
What is the population of Fernside?
At the 2021 Census Fernside had 55 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Lismore Surrounds statistical area, which contains Fernside, went from 14,249 people in 2001 to 16,160 in 2025, up 13%.
Is Fernside an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Fernside scores 963 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 4 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Fernside?
Median household income in Fernside was $1,624 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,458 for the typical suburb in Lismore. Median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,600 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leycester | 2.5 km | 6% | 31% |
| Tuncester | 4.9 km | 51% | 4% |
| Bungabbee | 5.1 km | Not mapped | 28% |
| Spring Grove Richmond Valley |
5.1 km | Not mapped | 89% |
| Caniaba | 6.1 km | 3% | 23% |
| Blakebrook | 6.5 km | 22% | 21% |
| Naughtons Gap Richmond Valley |
6.7 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Rock Valley | 7.8 km | <1% | 33% |
| Clovass Richmond Valley |
7.9 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Booerie Creek | 8.3 km | 32% | 17% |