Shortland flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Shortland
(Newcastle, NSW) - 6.13 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
6.13 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Shortland'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 Shortland
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 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.
Shortland at a glance
How Shortland is zoned
Buying in Shortland? 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 6.13 km², Shortland is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 48% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 41% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Conservation. The median lot measures about 591 m² across 1,564 parcels.
Who lives in Shortland
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Shortland 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 935, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Shortland's 4,537 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Shortland - Jesmond, the wider ABS statistical area containing Shortland. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Shortland itself.
9,447 in 2001 to 14,339 in 2025, up 52%.
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.
Shortland 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 Shortland 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 85% of Shortland. 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 Shortland. 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 Shortland lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Shortland planning - frequently asked
Is Shortland flood-prone?
About 48% of Shortland falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 39%. Published flood models are held over parts of Shortland; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Shortland bushfire-prone?
Around 41% of Shortland is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Newcastle average of 24%.
Is Shortland under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 85% of Shortland, and over about 92% 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 1 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 Shortland?
The dominant planning zone in Shortland is Environmental Conservation, though the suburb also includes Infrastructure and Low Density Residential.
Does Shortland have heritage-listed places?
Shortland has 2 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Shortland?
Across 1,564 surveyed parcels in Shortland, the median lot size is about 591 m². There are also 15 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Shortland have a train station?
There is no train station inside Shortland itself. The suburb is served by 81 bus stops.
What is the population of Shortland?
At the 2021 Census Shortland had 4,537 usual residents, with a median age of 33 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Shortland - Jesmond statistical area, which contains Shortland, went from 9,447 people in 2001 to 14,339 in 2025, up 52%.
Is Shortland an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Shortland scores 935 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 Shortland?
Median household income in Shortland was $1,344 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,818 for the typical suburb in Newcastle. Median rent was $377 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,679 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandgate | 1.4 km | 59% | 42% |
| Callaghan | 2.1 km | 4% | 55% |
| Birmingham Gardens | 2.1 km | 16% | 2% |
| Warabrook | 2.3 km | 13% | 2% |
| Maryland | 2.8 km | 28% | 33% |
| Jesmond | 3.3 km | 24% | 7% |
| Waratah West | 3.4 km | <1% | 38% |
| North Lambton | 3.5 km | 4% | 22% |
| Mayfield West | 3.5 km | 4% | <1% |
| Hexham | 3.5 km | 97% | 89% |