Forestville zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Forestville
(Northern Beaches, NSW) - 4.44 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
4.44 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 Forestville'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 Forestville
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 2 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 1,500 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.
Forestville at a glance
How Forestville is zoned
Buying in Forestville? 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 4.44 km², Forestville 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, 52% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 4 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 731 m² across 2,652 parcels.
Who lives in Forestville
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Forestville 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 1124, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Forestville's 8,659 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Forestville - Killarney Heights, the wider ABS statistical area containing Forestville. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Forestville itself.
12,098 in 2001 to 13,533 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.
Forestville 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 Forestville 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 68% of Forestville. 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 Forestville. 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 Forestville lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Forestville planning - frequently asked
Is Forestville flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Forestville, 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. Northern Beaches is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Forestville; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Forestville bushfire-prone?
Around 52% of Forestville is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Northern Beaches average of 47%.
Is Forestville under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 68% of Forestville, and over about 100% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 6,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 54 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. 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 Forestville?
The dominant planning zone in Forestville is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Public Recreation.
Does Forestville have heritage-listed places?
Forestville has 4 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Forestville?
Across 2,652 surveyed parcels in Forestville, the median lot size is about 731 m². There are also 32 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Forestville have a train station?
There is no train station inside Forestville itself. The suburb is served by 75 bus stops.
What is the population of Forestville?
At the 2021 Census Forestville had 8,659 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.9 people. The wider Forestville - Killarney Heights statistical area, which contains Forestville, went from 12,098 people in 2001 to 13,533 in 2025, up 12%.
Is Forestville an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Forestville scores 1124 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Forestville?
Median household income in Forestville was $2,507 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,778 for the typical suburb in Northern Beaches. Median rent was $650 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,250 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killarney Heights | 1.3 km | 0% | 76% |
| Roseville Chase Ku-Ring-Gai |
2.0 km | 6% | 48% |
| Frenchs Forest | 2.1 km | <1% | 49% |
| East Lindfield Ku-Ring-Gai |
2.6 km | 6% | 51% |
| Castle Cove Willoughby |
2.8 km | Not mapped | 73% |
| East Killara Ku-Ring-Gai |
3.1 km | 6% | 78% |
| Davidson | 3.2 km | Not mapped | 76% |
| Middle Cove Willoughby |
3.4 km | Not mapped | 74% |
| Allambie Heights | 3.4 km | 8% | 76% |
| Roseville Ku-Ring-Gai |
3.6 km | 3% | 14% |