Russell Lea zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Russell Lea
(Canada Bay, NSW) - 1.01 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained 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
1.01 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained 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 Russell Lea'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 Russell Lea
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 6 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.
Russell Lea at a glance
How Russell Lea is zoned
Buying in Russell Lea? 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 1.01 km², Russell Lea is relatively unconstrained 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. There are 11 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 431 m² across 1,516 parcels.
Who lives in Russell Lea
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Russell Lea 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 1127, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Russell Lea's 4,920 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Drummoyne - Rodd Point, the wider ABS statistical area containing Russell Lea. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Russell Lea itself.
17,021 in 2001 to 19,158 in 2025, up 13%.
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.
Russell Lea 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 Russell Lea 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 67% of Russell Lea. 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 Russell Lea. 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 Russell Lea lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Russell Lea planning - frequently asked
Is Russell Lea flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Russell Lea, 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. Canada Bay is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Russell Lea; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Russell Lea bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Russell Lea and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone.
Is Russell Lea under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 67% of Russell Lea, 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 6,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 42 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 Russell Lea?
The dominant planning zone in Russell Lea is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Medium Density Residential and Local Centre.
Does Russell Lea have heritage-listed places?
Russell Lea has 11 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Russell Lea?
Across 1,516 surveyed parcels in Russell Lea, the median lot size is about 431 m². There are also 4 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Russell Lea have a train station?
There is no train station inside Russell Lea itself. The suburb is served by 33 bus stops.
What is the population of Russell Lea?
At the 2021 Census Russell Lea had 4,920 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Drummoyne - Rodd Point statistical area, which contains Russell Lea, went from 17,021 people in 2001 to 19,158 in 2025, up 13%.
Is Russell Lea an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Russell Lea scores 1127 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 Russell Lea?
Median household income in Russell Lea was $2,658 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,382 for the typical suburb in Canada Bay. Median rent was $520 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,290 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wareemba | 0.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Rodd Point | 0.9 km | 0% | 0% |
| Chiswick | 1.0 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Drummoyne | 1.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Abbotsford | 1.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Five Dock | 1.5 km | 3% | 0% |
| Henley Hunters Hill |
1.9 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Huntleys Point Hunters Hill |
2.1 km | Not mapped | 4% |
| Lilyfield Inner West |
2.3 km | <1% | 0% |
| Huntleys Cove Hunters Hill |
2.3 km | Not mapped | 14% |