Pittwater flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Pittwater
(Northern Beaches, NSW) - 18.33 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
18.33 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Pittwater'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 Pittwater
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 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 2,000 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.
Pittwater at a glance
How Pittwater is zoned
Buying in Pittwater? 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 18.33 km², Pittwater is moderately constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 12% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 25 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Natural Waterways. The median lot measures about 2,036 m² across 14 parcels.
Pittwater 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 Pittwater 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 92% of Pittwater. 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 Pittwater. 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 Pittwater lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Pittwater planning - frequently asked
Is Pittwater flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Pittwater and less than 1% of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 12%). Published flood models are held over parts of Pittwater; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Pittwater bushfire-prone?
Around 12% of Pittwater is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Northern Beaches average of 47%.
Is Pittwater under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 92% of Pittwater, and over about 94% 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 2,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 5 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 Pittwater?
The dominant planning zone in Pittwater is Natural Waterways, though the suburb also includes Environmental Conservation and National Parks and Nature Reserves.
Does Pittwater have heritage-listed places?
Pittwater has 25 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Pittwater?
Across 14 surveyed parcels in Pittwater, the median lot size is about 2,036 m².
Does Pittwater have a train station?
There is no train station inside Pittwater itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops and 6 ferry terminals.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clareville | 1.6 km | 4% | 5% |
| Morning Bay | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Lovett Bay | 2.0 km | 0% | 100% |
| Coasters Retreat | 2.0 km | <1% | 100% |
| Scotland Island | 2.1 km | <1% | 100% |
| Bilgola Plateau | 2.7 km | 2% | 21% |
| Avalon Beach | 2.7 km | 12% | 23% |
| Elvina Bay | 2.8 km | <1% | 100% |
| Mccarrs Creek | 3.1 km | 0% | 100% |
| Whale Beach | 3.1 km | 3% | 21% |