Middle Cove zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Middle Cove
(Willoughby, NSW) - 1.04 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.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
1.04 km² - 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.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Middle Cove'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 Middle Cove
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 2 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 1,000 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.
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.
Middle Cove at a glance
How Middle Cove is zoned
Buying in Middle Cove? 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 1.04 km², Middle Cove 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, 74% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 4 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 804 m² across 499 parcels.
Who lives in Middle Cove
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Middle Cove 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 1185, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Middle Cove's 1,327 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Castle Cove - Northbridge, the wider ABS statistical area containing Middle Cove. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Middle Cove itself.
12,615 in 2001 to 13,592 in 2025, up 8%.
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.
Middle Cove data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Not 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 Middle Cove 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 96% of Middle Cove. 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 Middle Cove. 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 Middle Cove lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Middle Cove planning - frequently asked
Is Middle Cove flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Middle Cove, 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. Willoughby is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Middle Cove; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Middle Cove bushfire-prone?
Around 74% of Middle Cove is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Willoughby average of 26%.
Is Middle Cove under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 96% of Middle Cove, and over about 100% 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 5,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 12 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 Middle Cove?
The dominant planning zone in Middle Cove is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living and Low Density Residential.
Does Middle Cove have heritage-listed places?
Middle Cove has 4 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Middle Cove?
Across 499 surveyed parcels in Middle Cove, the median lot size is about 804 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Middle Cove have a train station?
There is no train station inside Middle Cove itself. The suburb is served by 35 bus stops.
What is the population of Middle Cove?
At the 2021 Census Middle Cove had 1,327 usual residents, with a median age of 45 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Castle Cove - Northbridge statistical area, which contains Middle Cove, went from 12,615 people in 2001 to 13,592 in 2025, up 8%.
Is Middle Cove an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Middle Cove scores 1185 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Middle Cove?
Median household income in Middle Cove was $4,446 a week at the 2021 Census, against $3,196 for the typical suburb in Willoughby. Median rent was $930 a week and the median mortgage repayment $4,000 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Cove | 0.6 km | Not mapped | 73% |
| Willoughby East | 0.9 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| North Willoughby | 1.1 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Castlecrag | 1.3 km | Not mapped | 44% |
| Willoughby | 1.9 km | Not mapped | <1% |
| Middle Harbour Unincorporated - Sydney Harbour Area |
2.1 km | 0% | 29% |
| Killarney Heights Northern Beaches |
2.2 km | 0% | 76% |
| Roseville Chase Ku-Ring-Gai |
2.2 km | 6% | 48% |
| Northbridge | 2.3 km | Not mapped | 29% |
| Roseville Ku-Ring-Gai |
2.6 km | 3% | 14% |