Forest Reefs zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Forest Reefs
(Blayney, NSW) - 68.74 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.
Constraint readout
68.74 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.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Forest Reefs'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 Forest Reefs
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
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 6,000 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.
Forest Reefs at a glance
How Forest Reefs is zoned
Buying in Forest Reefs? 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 68.74 km², Forest Reefs 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, 14% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 17 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 40,208 m² across 423 parcels.
Who lives in Forest Reefs
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Forest Reefs 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 1075, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Forest Reefs's 537 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Blayney, the wider ABS statistical area containing Forest Reefs. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Forest Reefs itself.
6,495 in 2001 to 7,855 in 2025, up 21%.
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.
Forest Reefs 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 Forest Reefs 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 Forest Reefs lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Forest Reefs planning - frequently asked
Is Forest Reefs flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Forest Reefs, 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. Blayney is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Forest Reefs bushfire-prone?
Around 14% of Forest Reefs is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Blayney average of 7%.
Is Forest Reefs under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 22% of Forest Reefs in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 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 Forest Reefs?
The dominant planning zone in Forest Reefs is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Forestry and Large Lot Residential.
Does Forest Reefs have heritage-listed places?
Forest Reefs has 17 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Forest Reefs?
Across 423 surveyed parcels in Forest Reefs, the median lot size is about 40,208 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Forest Reefs have a train station?
There is no train station inside Forest Reefs itself. The suburb is served by 107 bus stops.
What is the population of Forest Reefs?
At the 2021 Census Forest Reefs had 537 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.9 people. The wider Blayney statistical area, which contains Forest Reefs, went from 6,495 people in 2001 to 7,855 in 2025, up 21%.
Is Forest Reefs an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Forest Reefs scores 1075 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 Forest Reefs?
Median household income in Forest Reefs was $2,343 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,833 for the typical suburb in Blayney. Median rent was $325 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,174 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waldegrave Cabonne |
4.2 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Cadia Cabonne |
6.3 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| Tallwood | 7.0 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Spring Terrace Cabonne |
7.2 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Errowanbang | 8.1 km | Not mapped | 3% |
| Springside Orange |
9.7 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Spring Hill Cabonne |
10.3 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Browns Creek | 11.0 km | Not mapped | 2% |
| Millthorpe | 11.9 km | Not mapped | 15% |
| Huntley Orange |
11.9 km | Not mapped | 94% |