Megan zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Megan (Bellingen, NSW) - 47.31 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.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Megan'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 Megan

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.

Megan at a glance

Parcels 180 Median lot 24,978 m² Mapped easements 3

How Megan is zoned

Rural Landscape 71%
Environmental Management 13%
Primary Production 11%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 5%
Forestry 0%
Natural Waterways 0%

Buying in Megan? 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 47.31 km², Megan 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, 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 5 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 24,978 m² across 180 parcels.

Who lives in Megan

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

Population
168
usual residents, 2021
Median age
57
years
Median household income
$1,015
per week, Bellingen suburb typical $1,268
Median rent
$238
per week, Bellingen suburb typical $300
Median mortgage
$1,250
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 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 966, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Megan's 168 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 0.0%
5-14 10.8%
15-19 4.2%
20-24 4.2%
25-34 4.8%
35-44 9.0%
45-54 12.0%
55-64 28.3%
65-74 17.5%
75-84 9.0%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

Megan data sources and coverage

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

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW 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 Megan 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 Megan lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Megan planning - frequently asked

Is Megan flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Megan, 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. Bellingen is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Megan bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Megan is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Bellingen average of 98%.

Is Megan under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 2% of Megan in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 6,500 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 Megan?

The dominant planning zone in Megan is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and Primary Production.

Does Megan have heritage-listed places?

Megan has 5 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Megan?

Across 180 surveyed parcels in Megan, the median lot size is about 24,978 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

What is the population of Megan?

At the 2021 Census Megan had 168 usual residents, with a median age of 57 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Dorrigo statistical area, which contains Megan, went from 3,473 people in 2001 to 3,250 in 2025, down 6%.

Is Megan an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Megan scores 966 and sits in decile 4 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 Megan?

Median household income in Megan was $1,015 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,268 for the typical suburb in Bellingen. Median rent was $238 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,250 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Never Never 7.2 km Not mapped 100%
Cascade 7.6 km 0% 100%
Tallowwood Ridge 7.8 km 0% 100%
Brooklana
Coffs Harbour
8.5 km Not mapped 100%
Dorrigo 9.1 km Not mapped 95%
Dorrigo Mountain 9.2 km Not mapped 100%
North Dorrigo 11.2 km 0% 99%
Ulong
Coffs Harbour
12.7 km Not mapped 100%
Gleniffer 12.8 km Not mapped 100%
Bielsdown Hills 13.9 km Not mapped 100%

See all Bellingen suburb profiles →