Hernani flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Hernani (Clarence Valley, NSW) - 239.0 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 Hernani'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 Hernani

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.

Hernani at a glance

Parcels 228 Median lot 403,219 m² Mapped easements 5

How Hernani is zoned

Primary Production 77%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 19%
Environmental Management 4%
Forestry 0%
Natural Waterways 0%
Rural Landscape 0%

Buying in Hernani? 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 239.0 km², Hernani is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% 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 403,219 m² across 228 parcels.

Who lives in Hernani

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

Population
117
usual residents, 2021
Median age
47
years
Median household income
$1,375
per week, Clarence Valley suburb typical $1,187
Median rent
$183
per week, Clarence Valley suburb typical $300
Median mortgage
$1,000
per month
Household size
2.7
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 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 972, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Hernani's 117 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 13.4%
5-14 12.5%
15-19 0.0%
20-24 3.6%
25-34 9.8%
35-44 9.8%
45-54 11.6%
55-64 19.6%
65-74 14.3%
75-84 5.4%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

3,473 in 2001 to 3,250 in 2025, down 6%.

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.

Hernani 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 Hernani 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 Hernani lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Hernani planning - frequently asked

Is Hernani flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Hernani and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 24%).

Is Hernani bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Hernani is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Clarence Valley average of 94%.

Is Hernani under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 2% of Hernani in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 5,500 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 Hernani?

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

Does Hernani have heritage-listed places?

Hernani has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Hernani?

Across 228 surveyed parcels in Hernani, the median lot size is about 403,219 m². There are also 5 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

What is the population of Hernani?

At the 2021 Census Hernani had 117 usual residents, with a median age of 47 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Dorrigo statistical area, which contains Hernani, went from 3,473 people in 2001 to 3,250 in 2025, down 6%.

Is Hernani an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Hernani scores 972 and sits in decile 5 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 Hernani?

Median household income in Hernani was $1,375 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,187 for the typical suburb in Clarence Valley. Median rent was $183 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,000 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Tyringham 9.3 km 0% 100%
Deer Vale
Bellingen
11.0 km 0% 100%
Ebor
Armidale Regional
15.7 km 0% 100%
Bostobrick
Bellingen
16.4 km 0% 100%
Marengo 18.3 km 0% 100%
Fernbrook
Bellingen
18.8 km Not mapped 100%
Brinerville
Bellingen
19.3 km 0% 100%
Dundurrabin 19.6 km 0% 100%
Wongwibinda
Armidale Regional
21.0 km 0% 100%
Billys Creek 21.7 km 0% 100%

See all Clarence Valley suburb profiles →