Nelson flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Nelson
(The Hills Shire, NSW) - 4.94 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
4.94 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Nelson'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 Nelson
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 1,500 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.
Nelson at a glance
How Nelson is zoned
Buying in Nelson? 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 4.94 km², Nelson is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 1% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Transition. The median lot measures about 20,530 m² across 174 parcels.
Who lives in Nelson
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Nelson 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 1051, and decile 8 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Nelson's 460 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Box Hill - Nelson, the wider ABS statistical area containing Nelson. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Nelson itself.
1,826 in 2001 to 26,348 in 2025, up 1343%.
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.
Nelson 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 Nelson 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 65% of Nelson. 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 Nelson. 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 Nelson lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Nelson planning - frequently asked
Is Nelson flood-prone?
About 1% of Nelson falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 9%. Published flood models are held over parts of Nelson; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Nelson bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Nelson is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a The Hills Shire average of 62%.
Is Nelson under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 65% of Nelson, and over about 70% 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 2,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 8 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 Nelson?
The dominant planning zone in Nelson is Transition.
Does Nelson have heritage-listed places?
Nelson has 3 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Nelson?
Across 174 surveyed parcels in Nelson, the median lot size is about 20,530 m².
Does Nelson have a train station?
There is no train station inside Nelson itself. The suburb is served by 28 bus stops.
What is the population of Nelson?
At the 2021 Census Nelson had 460 usual residents, with a median age of 47 and an average household size of 3.1 people. The wider Box Hill - Nelson statistical area, which contains Nelson, went from 1,826 people in 2001 to 26,348 in 2025, up 1343%.
Is Nelson an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Nelson scores 1051 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 Nelson?
Median household income in Nelson was $2,399 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,650 for the typical suburb in The Hills Shire. Median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,762 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annangrove | 2.1 km | 2% | 94% |
| Gables | 2.3 km | <1% | 40% |
| Box Hill | 2.9 km | 20% | 18% |
| Rouse Hill Blacktown |
4.0 km | 4% | 50% |
| Kenthurst | 4.5 km | 4% | 93% |
| North Kellyville | 4.5 km | 7% | 54% |
| Grantham Farm Blacktown |
4.8 km | 9% | 47% |
| Oakville Hawkesbury |
5.3 km | 23% | 95% |
| Scheyville Hawkesbury |
5.5 km | 13% | 100% |
| Maraylya | 5.6 km | 22% | 100% |