Rockdale flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Rockdale
(Bayside, NSW) - 2.38 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
2.38 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Rockdale'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 Rockdale
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
25% 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 5 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 1,500 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.
Rockdale at a glance
How Rockdale is zoned
Buying in Rockdale? 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 2.38 km², Rockdale is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 15% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 26 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 467 m² across 2,422 parcels.
Who lives in Rockdale
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Rockdale 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 1012, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Rockdale's 15,475 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Rockdale - Banksia, the wider ABS statistical area containing Rockdale. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Rockdale itself.
15,904 in 2001 to 23,103 in 2025, up 45%.
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.
Rockdale 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 Rockdale 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 56% of Rockdale. 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 Rockdale. 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 Rockdale lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Rockdale planning - frequently asked
Is Rockdale flood-prone?
About 15% of Rockdale falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 15%. Published flood models are held over parts of Rockdale; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Rockdale bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Rockdale and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Bayside average is 2%).
Is Rockdale affected by aircraft noise?
About 25% of Rockdale 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 Rockdale under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 56% of Rockdale, 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 4,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 11 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 Rockdale?
The dominant planning zone in Rockdale is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Infrastructure.
Does Rockdale have heritage-listed places?
Rockdale has 26 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Rockdale?
Across 2,422 surveyed parcels in Rockdale, the median lot size is about 467 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Rockdale have a train station?
Yes - Rockdale has 1 train station: Rockdale Station. It is also served by 103 bus stops.
What is the population of Rockdale?
At the 2021 Census Rockdale had 15,475 usual residents, with a median age of 34 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Rockdale - Banksia statistical area, which contains Rockdale, went from 15,904 people in 2001 to 23,103 in 2025, up 45%.
Is Rockdale an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Rockdale scores 1012 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Rockdale?
Median household income in Rockdale was $1,906 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,962 for the typical suburb in Bayside. Median rent was $460 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banksia | 0.9 km | 21% | 0% |
| Brighton-Le-Sands | 1.1 km | 8% | 0% |
| Kogarah Georges River |
1.7 km | 17% | 0% |
| Kyeemagh | 1.8 km | 34% | 0% |
| Arncliffe | 1.8 km | 12% | 0% |
| Monterey | 2.1 km | 28% | 0% |
| Bardwell Valley | 2.1 km | 3% | <1% |
| Bexley | 2.3 km | 1% | 0% |
| Carlton Georges River |
2.5 km | 8% | 0% |
| Turrella | 2.7 km | 30% | 25% |