The Rocks zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of The Rocks
(Sydney, NSW) - 0.2 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
0.2 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 The Rocks'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 The Rocks
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 3 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.
The Rocks at a glance
How The Rocks is zoned
Buying in The Rocks? 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 0.2 km², The Rocks 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 103 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Public Recreation. The median lot measures about 272 m² across 234 parcels.
Who lives in The Rocks
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the The Rocks 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 1197, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of The Rocks's 629 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Sydney (North) - Millers Point, the wider ABS statistical area containing The Rocks. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than The Rocks itself.
5,088 in 2001 to 9,305 in 2025, up 83%.
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.
The Rocks 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 The Rocks 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 58% of The Rocks. 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 The Rocks. 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 The Rocks lot.
See what's in the $9 report →The Rocks planning - frequently asked
Is The Rocks flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering The Rocks, 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 The Rocks; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is The Rocks bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers The Rocks and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone.
Is The Rocks under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 58% of The Rocks, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 1,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 14 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 The Rocks?
The dominant planning zone in The Rocks is Public Recreation, though the suburb also includes Metropolitan Centre and Infrastructure.
Does The Rocks have heritage-listed places?
The Rocks has 103 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in The Rocks?
Across 234 surveyed parcels in The Rocks, the median lot size is about 272 m².
What is the population of The Rocks?
At the 2021 Census The Rocks had 629 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 1.7 people. The wider Sydney (North) - Millers Point statistical area, which contains The Rocks, went from 5,088 people in 2001 to 9,305 in 2025, up 83%.
Is The Rocks an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), The Rocks scores 1197 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 The Rocks?
Median household income in The Rocks was $4,374 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,276 for the typical suburb in Sydney. Median rent was $850 a week and the median mortgage repayment $4,333 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawes Point | 0.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Millers Point | 0.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Barangaroo | 0.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Sydney | 1.0 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Milsons Point North Sydney |
1.3 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Kirribilli North Sydney |
1.4 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Balmain East Inner West |
1.5 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Mcmahons Point North Sydney |
1.6 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Lavender Bay North Sydney |
1.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Woolloomooloo | 1.7 km | Not mapped | 0% |