Thirroul flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Thirroul
(Wollongong, NSW) - 4.89 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
4.89 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Thirroul'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 Thirroul
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 2,500 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.
Thirroul at a glance
How Thirroul is zoned
Buying in Thirroul? 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 4.89 km², Thirroul is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 52% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 31 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 654 m² across 2,295 parcels.
Who lives in Thirroul
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Thirroul 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 1105, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Thirroul's 6,348 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Thirroul - Austinmer - Coalcliff, the wider ABS statistical area containing Thirroul. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Thirroul itself.
10,592 in 2001 to 12,148 in 2025, up 15%.
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.
Thirroul 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 Thirroul 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 48% of Thirroul. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Thirroul lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Thirroul planning - frequently asked
Is Thirroul flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Thirroul and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 12%).
Is Thirroul bushfire-prone?
Around 52% of Thirroul is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Wollongong average of 56%.
Is Thirroul under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 48% of Thirroul, and over about 86% 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 1,500 ft, with an average of 4,000 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 Thirroul?
The dominant planning zone in Thirroul is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Environmental Management.
Does Thirroul have heritage-listed places?
Thirroul has 31 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Thirroul?
Across 2,295 surveyed parcels in Thirroul, the median lot size is about 654 m². There are also 6 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Thirroul have a train station?
Yes - Thirroul has 1 train station: Thirroul Station. It is also served by 31 bus stops.
What is the population of Thirroul?
At the 2021 Census Thirroul had 6,348 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Thirroul - Austinmer - Coalcliff statistical area, which contains Thirroul, went from 10,592 people in 2001 to 12,148 in 2025, up 15%.
Is Thirroul an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Thirroul scores 1105 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 Thirroul?
Median household income in Thirroul was $2,281 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $540 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,600 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulli | 1.8 km | 5% | 64% |
| Austinmer | 1.9 km | 0% | 73% |
| Coledale | 3.8 km | 0% | 71% |
| Woonona | 4.1 km | 15% | 41% |
| Russell Vale | 4.9 km | 11% | 39% |
| Wombarra | 5.4 km | 0% | 76% |
| Maddens Plains | 5.5 km | 0% | 99% |
| Bellambi | 6.2 km | 22% | 21% |
| Corrimal | 6.6 km | 14% | 39% |
| Scarborough | 6.7 km | 0% | 91% |