Riverwood flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Riverwood
(Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW) - 3.84 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
3.84 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Riverwood'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 Riverwood
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 1,000 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.
Riverwood at a glance
How Riverwood is zoned
Buying in Riverwood? 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 3.84 km², Riverwood is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. About 5% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. The dominant land-use zone is Medium Density Residential. The median lot measures about 520 m² across 2,676 parcels.
Who lives in Riverwood
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Riverwood 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 927, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Riverwood's 12,793 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Riverwood, the wider ABS statistical area containing Riverwood. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Riverwood itself.
9,209 in 2001 to 12,414 in 2025, up 35%.
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.
Riverwood 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 Riverwood 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 47% of Riverwood. 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 Riverwood. 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 Riverwood lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Riverwood planning - frequently asked
Is Riverwood flood-prone?
About 5% of Riverwood falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 18%. Published flood models are held over parts of Riverwood; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Riverwood bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Riverwood and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Canterbury-Bankstown average is 10%).
Is Riverwood under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 47% of Riverwood, 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 12 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 Riverwood?
The dominant planning zone in Riverwood is Medium Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Public Recreation.
Does Riverwood have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Riverwood.
What is the typical lot size in Riverwood?
Across 2,676 surveyed parcels in Riverwood, the median lot size is about 520 m². There are also 16 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Riverwood have a train station?
Yes - Riverwood has 1 train station: Riverwood Station. It is also served by 153 bus stops.
What is the population of Riverwood?
At the 2021 Census Riverwood had 12,793 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Riverwood statistical area, which contains Riverwood, went from 9,209 people in 2001 to 12,414 in 2025, up 35%.
Is Riverwood an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Riverwood scores 927 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 2 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Riverwood?
Median household income in Riverwood was $1,210 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,706 for the typical suburb in Canterbury-Bankstown. Median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narwee | 1.5 km | 3% | 0% |
| Peakhurst Georges River |
1.6 km | 11% | 2% |
| Padstow | 1.8 km | 26% | 0% |
| Punchbowl | 2.0 km | 8% | 0% |
| Roselands | 2.5 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Beverly Hills Georges River |
2.7 km | 14% | 0% |
| Wiley Park | 2.9 km | 0% | 0% |
| Mortdale Georges River |
3.0 km | 8% | 10% |
| Padstow Heights | 3.1 km | 31% | 57% |
| Peakhurst Heights Georges River |
3.2 km | 14% | 22% |