Rathmines zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Rathmines
(Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 4.08 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
4.08 km² - this suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Rathmines's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Rathmines
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 9,000 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.
Rathmines at a glance
How Rathmines is zoned
Buying in Rathmines? 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 4.08 km², Rathmines is highly constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 71% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 13 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 760 m² across 1,010 parcels.
Who lives in Rathmines
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Rathmines 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 972, and decile 4 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Rathmines's 2,076 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Wangi Wangi - Rathmines, the wider ABS statistical area containing Rathmines. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Rathmines itself.
8,899 in 2001 to 9,710 in 2025, up 9%.
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.
Rathmines data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Not 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 Rathmines 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 23% of Rathmines. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Rathmines lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Rathmines planning - frequently asked
Is Rathmines flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Rathmines, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Lake Macquarie is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.
Is Rathmines bushfire-prone?
Around 71% of Rathmines is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lake Macquarie average of 65%.
Is Rathmines under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 23% of Rathmines, and over about 48% 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 1,500 ft, with an average of 4,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 2 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 Rathmines?
The dominant planning zone in Rathmines is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Private Recreation and Environmental Conservation.
Does Rathmines have heritage-listed places?
Rathmines has 13 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Rathmines?
Across 1,010 surveyed parcels in Rathmines, the median lot size is about 760 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Rathmines have a train station?
There is no train station inside Rathmines itself. The suburb is served by 35 bus stops.
What is the population of Rathmines?
At the 2021 Census Rathmines had 2,076 usual residents, with a median age of 47 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Wangi Wangi - Rathmines statistical area, which contains Rathmines, went from 8,899 people in 2001 to 9,710 in 2025, up 9%.
Is Rathmines an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Rathmines scores 972 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 4 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Rathmines?
Median household income in Rathmines was $1,517 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $400 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,733 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balmoral | 0.8 km | Not mapped | 75% |
| Buttaba | 1.2 km | Not mapped | 80% |
| Kilaben Bay | 2.1 km | Not mapped | 68% |
| Arcadia Vale | 2.2 km | Not mapped | 55% |
| Fishing Point | 2.2 km | Not mapped | 7% |
| Toronto | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Carey Bay | 2.8 km | Not mapped | 12% |
| Coal Point | 3.1 km | Not mapped | 28% |
| Wangi Wangi | 3.6 km | Not mapped | 50% |
| Myuna Bay | 4.1 km | 0% | 66% |