Norwest flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Norwest (The Hills Shire, NSW) - 2.7 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Norwest'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 Norwest

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.

Norwest at a glance

Parcels 1,020 Median lot 324 m² Mapped easements 11 Train Norwest Station Bus stops 76

How Norwest is zoned

Private Recreation 25%
Enterprise 24%
Medium Density Residential 21%
Low Density Residential 10%
High Density Residential 9%
Infrastructure 5%

Buying in Norwest? 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 2.7 km², Norwest is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Private Recreation. The median lot measures about 324 m² across 1,020 parcels.

Who lives in Norwest

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

Population
4,688
usual residents, 2021
Median age
37
years
Median household income
$2,207
per week, The Hills Shire suburb typical $2,650
Median rent
$579
per week, The Hills Shire suburb typical $560
Median mortgage
$2,823
per month
Household size
2.5
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 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1133, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Norwest's 4,688 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.6%
5-14 9.2%
15-19 3.6%
20-24 8.1%
25-34 17.8%
35-44 16.7%
45-54 8.6%
55-64 8.8%
65-74 10.7%
75-84 7.1%
85+ 3.8%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Baulkham Hills (West) - Bella Vista, the wider ABS statistical area containing Norwest. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Norwest itself.

16,826 in 2001 to 23,336 in 2025, up 39%.

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.

Norwest 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 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 Norwest 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 38% of Norwest. 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 Norwest. 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 Norwest lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Norwest planning - frequently asked

Is Norwest flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Norwest and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 9%). Published flood models are held over parts of Norwest; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.

Is Norwest bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Norwest and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the The Hills Shire average is 62%).

Is Norwest under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 38% of Norwest, 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 19 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 Norwest?

The dominant planning zone in Norwest is Private Recreation, though the suburb also includes Enterprise and Medium Density Residential.

Does Norwest have heritage-listed places?

Norwest has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Norwest?

Across 1,020 surveyed parcels in Norwest, the median lot size is about 324 m². There are also 11 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Norwest have a train station?

Yes - Norwest has 1 train station: Norwest Station. It is also served by 76 bus stops.

What is the population of Norwest?

At the 2021 Census Norwest had 4,688 usual residents, with a median age of 37 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Baulkham Hills (West) - Bella Vista statistical area, which contains Norwest, went from 16,826 people in 2001 to 23,336 in 2025, up 39%.

Is Norwest an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Norwest scores 1133 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 Norwest?

Median household income in Norwest was $2,207 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,650 for the typical suburb in The Hills Shire. Median rent was $579 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,823 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Bella Vista 1.3 km <1% 0%
Kellyville 2.3 km 0% 9%
Glenwood
Blacktown
3.1 km 5% 0%
Baulkham Hills 3.2 km 0% 13%
Castle Hill 3.2 km 0% 19%
Kings Langley
Blacktown
3.4 km 7% 0%
Stanhope Gardens
Blacktown
3.7 km 8% 7%
Beaumont Hills 4.2 km <1% 31%
Glenhaven 4.3 km 0% 71%
Parklea
Blacktown
4.5 km <1% 0%

See all The Hills Shire suburb profiles →