Forbes Creek zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Forbes Creek (Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional, NSW) - 38.22 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.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Forbes Creek'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 Forbes Creek

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.

Forbes Creek at a glance

Parcels 88 Median lot 186,519 m²

How Forbes Creek is zoned

Primary Production 86%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 14%

Buying in Forbes Creek? 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 38.22 km², Forbes Creek 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. The dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 186,519 m² across 88 parcels.

Who lives in Forbes Creek

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

Population
62
usual residents, 2021
Median age
52
years
Median household income
$2,666
per week, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional suburb typical $2,287
Median rent
$450
per week, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional suburb typical $384
Median mortgage
$1,875
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 1072, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Forbes Creek's 62 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 0.0%
5-14 9.3%
15-19 7.4%
20-24 5.6%
25-34 7.4%
35-44 5.6%
45-54 22.2%
55-64 27.8%
65-74 14.8%
75-84 0.0%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

10,242 in 2001 to 18,181 in 2025, up 78%.

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.

Forbes Creek data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Forbes Creek 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 Forbes Creek lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Forbes Creek planning - frequently asked

Is Forbes Creek flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Forbes Creek, 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. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Forbes Creek bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Forbes Creek is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional average of 91%.

Is Forbes Creek under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 24% of Forbes Creek in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 3,500 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 Forbes Creek?

The dominant planning zone in Forbes Creek is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves.

Does Forbes Creek have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Forbes Creek.

What is the typical lot size in Forbes Creek?

Across 88 surveyed parcels in Forbes Creek, the median lot size is about 186,519 m².

What is the population of Forbes Creek?

At the 2021 Census Forbes Creek had 62 usual residents, with a median age of 52 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Queanbeyan Surrounds statistical area, which contains Forbes Creek, went from 10,242 people in 2001 to 18,181 in 2025, up 78%.

Is Forbes Creek an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Forbes Creek scores 1072 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 9 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Forbes Creek?

Median household income in Forbes Creek was $2,666 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,287 for the typical suburb in Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional. Median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,875 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Palerang 6.3 km Not mapped 100%
Hoskinstown 6.3 km Not mapped 100%
Rossi 7.2 km Not mapped 100%
Primrose Valley 11.8 km Not mapped 100%
Farringdon 13.7 km Not mapped 100%
Bombay 14.0 km Not mapped 100%
Bungendore 14.4 km Not mapped 97%
Carwoola 17.7 km Not mapped 100%
Captains Flat 17.8 km Not mapped 100%
Mulloon 17.9 km Not mapped 100%

See all Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional suburb profiles →