Howlong flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Howlong
(Federation, NSW) - 155.86 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
155.86 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Howlong'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 Howlong
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: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
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.
Howlong at a glance
How Howlong is zoned
Buying in Howlong? 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 155.86 km², Howlong is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 19% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 2% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 13 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 2,025 m² across 2,048 parcels.
Who lives in Howlong
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Howlong 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 921, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Howlong's 2,997 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Corowa Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Howlong. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Howlong itself.
6,318 in 2001 to 7,654 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.
Howlong data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | 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 Howlong 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 7% of Howlong. 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 Howlong. 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 Howlong lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Howlong planning - frequently asked
Is Howlong flood-prone?
About 19% of Howlong falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 13%. Published flood models are held over parts of Howlong; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Howlong bushfire-prone?
Around 2% of Howlong is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Federation average of 15%.
Is Howlong under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 7% of Howlong, and over about 14% 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 3,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 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 Howlong?
The dominant planning zone in Howlong is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and General Residential.
Does Howlong have heritage-listed places?
Howlong has 13 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Howlong?
Across 2,048 surveyed parcels in Howlong, the median lot size is about 2,025 m². There are also 8 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Howlong have a train station?
There is no train station inside Howlong itself. The suburb is served by 193 bus stops.
What is the population of Howlong?
At the 2021 Census Howlong had 2,997 usual residents, with a median age of 49 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Corowa Surrounds statistical area, which contains Howlong, went from 6,318 people in 2001 to 7,654 in 2025, up 21%.
Is Howlong an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Howlong scores 921 and sits in decile 2 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 Howlong?
Median household income in Howlong was $1,293 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,287 for the typical suburb in Federation. Median rent was $290 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,300 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moorwatha Greater Hume Shire |
11.2 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Hopefield | 14.3 km | 9% | 13% |
| Bungowannah Greater Hume Shire |
14.3 km | 24% | 100% |
| Brocklesby Greater Hume Shire |
16.7 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Balldale Greater Hume Shire |
19.9 km | Not mapped | 42% |
| Burrumbuttock Greater Hume Shire |
22.0 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Corowa | 23.2 km | 21% | 25% |
| Jindera Greater Hume Shire |
23.7 km | Not mapped | 98% |
| Splitters Creek Albury City |
23.8 km | 26% | 99% |
| Goombargana Greater Hume Shire |
24.6 km | Not mapped | 100% |