Sydenham zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Sydenham
(Inner West, NSW) - 0.28 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
0.28 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 Sydenham's boundary, with the 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. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Sydenham
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
100% 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 at ANEF 30 and above is generally unacceptable for new houses and most noise-sensitive uses. 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 2 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 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.
Sydenham at a glance
How Sydenham is zoned
Buying in Sydenham? 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 0.28 km², Sydenham 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 20 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 215 m² across 602 parcels.
Who lives in Sydenham
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Sydenham 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 1074, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Sydenham's 1,100 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Sydenham - Tempe - St Peters, the wider ABS statistical area containing Sydenham. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Sydenham itself.
6,731 in 2001 to 8,976 in 2025, up 33%.
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.
Sydenham 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) | 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 Sydenham 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 87% of Sydenham. 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 Sydenham. 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 Sydenham lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Sydenham planning - frequently asked
Is Sydenham flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Sydenham, 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. Inner West is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Published flood models are held over parts of Sydenham; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Sydenham bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Sydenham and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone.
Is Sydenham affected by aircraft noise?
About 100% of Sydenham sits inside a published aircraft noise contour, and the highest contour present is ANEF 35 - 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 Sydenham under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 87% of Sydenham, 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 500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 237 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 Sydenham?
The dominant planning zone in Sydenham is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Infrastructure and Public Recreation.
Does Sydenham have heritage-listed places?
Sydenham has 20 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Sydenham?
Across 602 surveyed parcels in Sydenham, the median lot size is about 215 m².
Does Sydenham have a train station?
Yes - Sydenham has 1 train station: Sydenham Station. It is also served by 10 bus stops.
What is the population of Sydenham?
At the 2021 Census Sydenham had 1,100 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Sydenham - Tempe - St Peters statistical area, which contains Sydenham, went from 6,731 people in 2001 to 8,976 in 2025, up 33%.
Is Sydenham an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Sydenham scores 1074 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 9 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Sydenham?
Median household income in Sydenham was $2,245 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,452 for the typical suburb in Inner West. Median rent was $580 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,817 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Peters | 0.9 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Tempe | 1.0 km | 0% | 0% |
| Marrickville | 1.3 km | 0% | 0% |
| Enmore | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Newtown Sydney |
2.1 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Wolli Creek Bayside |
2.2 km | 30% | <1% |
| Erskineville Sydney |
2.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Alexandria Sydney |
2.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Stanmore | 2.6 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Petersham | 2.7 km | 10% | 0% |