Middle Harbour flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Middle Harbour
(Unincorporated - Sydney Harbour Area, NSW) - 7.51 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
7.51 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Middle Harbour'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 Middle Harbour
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 3 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 2,500 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 Harbour at a glance
How Middle Harbour is zoned
Buying in Middle Harbour? 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 7.51 km², Middle Harbour is moderately constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 29% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 53 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Natural Waterways. The median lot measures about 142 m² across 62 parcels.
Middle Harbour 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 | Not 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 Harbour 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 73% of Middle Harbour. 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 Harbour. 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 Harbour lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Middle Harbour planning - frequently asked
Is Middle Harbour flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Middle Harbour and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay. Published flood models are held over parts of Middle Harbour; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Middle Harbour bushfire-prone?
Around 29% of Middle Harbour is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Unincorporated - Sydney Harbour Area average of 21%.
Is Middle Harbour under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 73% of Middle Harbour, 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 5,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 50 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 Harbour?
The dominant planning zone in Middle Harbour is Natural Waterways, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Environmental Living.
Does Middle Harbour have heritage-listed places?
Middle Harbour has 53 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Middle Harbour?
Across 62 surveyed parcels in Middle Harbour, the median lot size is about 142 m². There are also 1 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaforth Northern Beaches |
0.8 km | 2% | 37% |
| Castlecrag Willoughby |
1.6 km | Not mapped | 44% |
| North Balgowlah Northern Beaches |
1.7 km | 3% | 26% |
| Castle Cove Willoughby |
2.1 km | Not mapped | 73% |
| Middle Cove Willoughby |
2.1 km | Not mapped | 74% |
| Balgowlah Northern Beaches |
2.5 km | 11% | 8% |
| Clontarf Northern Beaches |
2.6 km | 8% | 39% |
| Killarney Heights Northern Beaches |
2.7 km | 0% | 76% |
| Northbridge Willoughby |
2.7 km | Not mapped | 29% |
| Allambie Heights Northern Beaches |
2.7 km | 8% | 76% |
See all Unincorporated - Sydney Harbour Area suburb profiles →