Petersham flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Petersham
(Inner West, NSW) - 1.29 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
1.29 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Petersham's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Amber hatching is the published aircraft noise (ANEF) contour. 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 Petersham
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.
Inside an aircraft noise contour
86% of the suburb's land sits inside a published ANEF or airport-environs contour. Contours vary street by street, so whether a particular lot is inside one needs a property-level check.
Highest contour present
Under AS 2021, land between ANEF 25 and 30 is generally unacceptable for new houses; 20 to 25 is conditionally acceptable with noise attenuation. The contour is a forecast, not a measurement at any one house.
Contours held
- sydney_airport_anef
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 2 Oct 2026
typical observed square 11 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 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.
Petersham at a glance
How Petersham is zoned
Buying in Petersham? 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 1.29 km², Petersham is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. About 10% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 85 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 249 m² across 2,452 parcels.
Who lives in Petersham
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Petersham 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 1119, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Petersham's 8,200 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Petersham - Stanmore, the wider ABS statistical area containing Petersham. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Petersham itself.
18,443 in 2001 to 21,224 in 2025, up 15%.
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.
Petersham 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) | Inside a held contour | 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 Petersham 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 100% of Petersham. 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 Petersham. 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 Petersham lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Petersham planning - frequently asked
Is Petersham flood-prone?
About 10% of Petersham falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 12%. Published flood models are held over parts of Petersham; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Petersham bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Petersham and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone.
Is Petersham affected by aircraft noise?
About 86% of Petersham sits inside a published aircraft noise contour, and the highest contour present is ANEF 25 - under AS 2021, land above ANEF 25 is generally considered unacceptable for new houses, and 20-25 conditionally acceptable with noise attenuation. ANEF contours are forecasts published per airport and used to control noise-sensitive development; they are not a measurement at any one house, and a property can sit under a flight path and outside every contour.
Is Petersham under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 100% of Petersham, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 1,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 157 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 Petersham?
The dominant planning zone in Petersham is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Infrastructure and Local Centre.
Does Petersham have heritage-listed places?
Petersham has 85 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Petersham?
Across 2,452 surveyed parcels in Petersham, the median lot size is about 249 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Petersham have a train station?
Yes - Petersham has 1 train station: Petersham Station. It is also served by 58 bus stops.
What is the population of Petersham?
At the 2021 Census Petersham had 8,200 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Petersham - Stanmore statistical area, which contains Petersham, went from 18,443 people in 2001 to 21,224 in 2025, up 15%.
Is Petersham an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Petersham scores 1119 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 Petersham?
Median household income in Petersham was $2,217 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,452 for the typical suburb in Inner West. Median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,900 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewisham | 0.8 km | 16% | 0% |
| Stanmore | 0.9 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Leichhardt | 1.4 km | 7% | 0% |
| Enmore | 1.5 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Summer Hill | 1.6 km | 21% | 0% |
| Dulwich Hill | 1.9 km | 13% | 0% |
| Marrickville | 2.0 km | 0% | 0% |
| Newtown Sydney |
2.2 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Haberfield | 2.2 km | 31% | 0% |
| Annandale | 2.2 km | Not mapped | 0% |