Surry Hills zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Surry Hills
(Sydney, NSW) - 1.33 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
1.33 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 Surry Hills'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 Surry Hills
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 2 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.
Surry Hills at a glance
How Surry Hills is zoned
Buying in Surry Hills? 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 1.33 km², Surry Hills 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 292 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Mixed Use. The median lot measures about 115 m² across 3,428 parcels.
Who lives in Surry Hills
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Surry Hills 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 1138, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Surry Hills's 15,828 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Surry Hills, the wider ABS statistical area containing Surry Hills. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Surry Hills itself.
13,909 in 2001 to 17,184 in 2025, up 24%.
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.
Surry Hills 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 Surry Hills 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 92% of Surry Hills. 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 Surry Hills. 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 Surry Hills lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Surry Hills planning - frequently asked
Is Surry Hills flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Surry Hills, 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. Sydney is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Surry Hills; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Surry Hills bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Surry Hills and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone.
Is Surry Hills under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 92% of Surry Hills, 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 2,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 9 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 Surry Hills?
The dominant planning zone in Surry Hills is Mixed Use, though the suburb also includes General Residential and Public Recreation.
Does Surry Hills have heritage-listed places?
Surry Hills has 292 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Surry Hills?
Across 3,428 surveyed parcels in Surry Hills, the median lot size is about 115 m². There are also 3 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Surry Hills have a train station?
Yes - Surry Hills has 2 train stations: Central Chalmers Street Light Rail, Surry Hills Light Rail. It is also served by 55 bus stops.
What is the population of Surry Hills?
At the 2021 Census Surry Hills had 15,828 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 1.8 people. The wider Surry Hills statistical area, which contains Surry Hills, went from 13,909 people in 2001 to 17,184 in 2025, up 24%.
Is Surry Hills an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Surry Hills scores 1138 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 Surry Hills?
Median household income in Surry Hills was $2,308 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,276 for the typical suburb in Sydney. Median rent was $550 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,839 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haymarket | 0.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Darlinghurst | 0.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Redfern | 1.1 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Chippendale | 1.2 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Paddington Woollahra |
1.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Moore Park | 1.5 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Ultimo | 1.5 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Woolloomooloo | 1.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Waterloo | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Rushcutters Bay | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |