Leura flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Leura (Blue Mountains, NSW) - 14.2 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 2 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Leura'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 Leura

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.

Leura at a glance

Parcels 3,875 Median lot 1,020 m² Mapped easements 8 Train Leura Station Bus stops 148

How Leura is zoned

Environmental Conservation 33%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 21%
Environmental Living 20%
Deferred Matter 12%
Environmental Management 7%
Private Recreation 3%

Buying in Leura? 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 14.2 km², Leura is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 1% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 82% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 73 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 1,020 m² across 3,875 parcels.

Who lives in Leura

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

Population
4,503
usual residents, 2021
Median age
55
years
Median household income
$1,369
per week, Blue Mountains suburb typical $2,083
Median rent
$430
per week, Blue Mountains suburb typical $400
Median mortgage
$2,000
per month
Household size
2.1
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 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1049, and decile 8 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Leura's 4,503 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.3%
5-14 8.7%
15-19 4.8%
20-24 3.4%
25-34 6.7%
35-44 9.4%
45-54 13.2%
55-64 16.3%
65-74 18.8%
75-84 11.1%
85+ 4.4%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

13,154 in 2001 to 13,569 in 2025, up 3%.

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.

Leura 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 2 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 Leura 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 Leura lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Leura planning - frequently asked

Is Leura flood-prone?

About 1% of Leura falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 1%.

Is Leura bushfire-prone?

Around 82% of Leura is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Blue Mountains average of 96%.

Is Leura under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 82% of Leura in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 3,000 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 Leura?

The dominant planning zone in Leura is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Environmental Living.

Does Leura have heritage-listed places?

Leura has 73 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Leura?

Across 3,875 surveyed parcels in Leura, the median lot size is about 1,020 m². There are also 8 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Leura have a train station?

Yes - Leura has 1 train station: Leura Station. It is also served by 148 bus stops.

What is the population of Leura?

At the 2021 Census Leura had 4,503 usual residents, with a median age of 55 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Katoomba - Leura statistical area, which contains Leura, went from 13,154 people in 2001 to 13,569 in 2025, up 3%.

Is Leura an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Leura scores 1049 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 8 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Leura?

Median household income in Leura was $1,369 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,083 for the typical suburb in Blue Mountains. Median rent was $430 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,000 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Katoomba 3.9 km <1% 83%
Wentworth Falls 5.1 km 2% 89%
Medlow Bath 5.7 km Not mapped 99%
Rocklily Ridge 6.7 km 0% 100%
Bullaburra 7.1 km 1% 96%
Lawson 8.8 km 6% 88%
Govetts 8.9 km Not mapped 100%
Blackheath 9.3 km Not mapped 94%
Narrow Neck 10.3 km Not mapped 100%
Jamison Valley 11.0 km 0% 100%

See all Blue Mountains suburb profiles →