Greta flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Greta (Cessnock, NSW) - 20.67 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Greta'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 Greta

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.

Greta at a glance

Parcels 1,826 Median lot 1,008 m² Mapped easements 5 Train Greta Station Bus stops 65

How Greta is zoned

Rural Landscape 52%
Low Density Residential 25%
Infrastructure 9%
Large Lot Residential 6%
Environmental Conservation 3%
Primary Production Small Lots 2%

Buying in Greta? 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 20.67 km², Greta is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 15% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 89% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 31 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 1,008 m² across 1,826 parcels.

Who lives in Greta

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

Population
3,349
usual residents, 2021
Median age
33
years
Median household income
$1,929
per week, Cessnock suburb typical $1,929
Median rent
$360
per week, Cessnock suburb typical $346
Median mortgage
$1,755
per month
Household size
2.8
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 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 929, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Greta's 3,349 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 8.5%
5-14 14.7%
15-19 6.7%
20-24 6.2%
25-34 16.3%
35-44 14.2%
45-54 12.2%
55-64 9.4%
65-74 7.5%
75-84 3.7%
85+ 0.6%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Branxton - Greta - Pokolbin, the wider ABS statistical area containing Greta. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Greta itself.

7,490 in 2001 to 16,413 in 2025, up 119%.

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.

Greta data sources and coverage

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

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedNSW 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 Greta 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 22% of Greta. 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 Greta lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Greta planning - frequently asked

Is Greta flood-prone?

About 15% of Greta falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 17%.

Is Greta bushfire-prone?

Around 89% of Greta is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Cessnock average of 91%.

Is Greta under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 22% of Greta, and over about 48% 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 1,500 ft, with an average of 3,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 2 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 Greta?

The dominant planning zone in Greta is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Infrastructure.

Does Greta have heritage-listed places?

Greta has 31 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Greta?

Across 1,826 surveyed parcels in Greta, the median lot size is about 1,008 m². There are also 5 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Greta have a train station?

Yes - Greta has 1 train station: Greta Station. It is also served by 65 bus stops.

What is the population of Greta?

At the 2021 Census Greta had 3,349 usual residents, with a median age of 33 and an average household size of 2.8 people. The wider Branxton - Greta - Pokolbin statistical area, which contains Greta, went from 7,490 people in 2001 to 16,413 in 2025, up 119%.

Is Greta an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Greta scores 929 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 2 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Greta?

Median household income in Greta was $1,929 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,929 for the typical suburb in Cessnock. Median rent was $360 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,755 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Harpers Hill
Maitland
2.3 km 5% 100%
Oswald
Maitland
3.3 km 51% 100%
North Rothbury 3.8 km 10% 84%
Allandale 4.3 km 7% 100%
Rothbury 4.5 km 34% 99%
East Branxton 4.5 km 41% 20%
Luskintyre
Maitland
5.1 km 42% 99%
Leconfield
Singleton
5.2 km 0% 92%
Branxton
Singleton
6.0 km Not mapped 91%
Windermere
Maitland
6.7 km 42% 99%

See all Cessnock suburb profiles →