Upper Pappinbarra zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Upper Pappinbarra (Port Macquarie-Hastings, NSW) - 99.03 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 26 September 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Upper Pappinbarra'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 Upper Pappinbarra

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.

Upper Pappinbarra at a glance

Parcels 63 Median lot 718,206 m² Bus stops 6

How Upper Pappinbarra is zoned

Forestry 70%
Rural Landscape 29%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 0%

Buying in Upper Pappinbarra? 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 99.03 km², Upper Pappinbarra is highly constrained 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. Of what is mapped, 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Forestry. The median lot measures about 718,206 m² across 63 parcels.

Who lives in Upper Pappinbarra

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Upper Pappinbarra suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
48
usual residents, 2021

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 941, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Port Macquarie Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Upper Pappinbarra. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Upper Pappinbarra itself.

5,244 in 2001 to 5,331 in 2025, up 2%.

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.

Upper Pappinbarra data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 26 September 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 Upper Pappinbarra 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.

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 Upper Pappinbarra lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Upper Pappinbarra planning - frequently asked

Is Upper Pappinbarra flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Upper Pappinbarra, 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. Port Macquarie-Hastings is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Upper Pappinbarra bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Upper Pappinbarra is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Port Macquarie-Hastings average of 93%.

Is Upper Pappinbarra under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 8% of Upper Pappinbarra in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 2,500 ft. 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 Upper Pappinbarra?

The dominant planning zone in Upper Pappinbarra is Forestry, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape and National Parks and Nature Reserves.

Does Upper Pappinbarra have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Upper Pappinbarra.

What is the typical lot size in Upper Pappinbarra?

Across 63 surveyed parcels in Upper Pappinbarra, the median lot size is about 718,206 m².

Does Upper Pappinbarra have a train station?

There is no train station inside Upper Pappinbarra itself. The suburb is served by 6 bus stops.

Is Upper Pappinbarra an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Upper Pappinbarra scores 941 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Banda Banda 8.0 km Not mapped 100%
Kippara 8.4 km Not mapped 100%
Bril Bril 10.3 km Not mapped 100%
Pappinbarra 10.7 km Not mapped 100%
Forbes River 11.2 km Not mapped 100%
Kindee 13.7 km Not mapped 100%
Bellangry 14.9 km Not mapped 100%
Birdwood 15.1 km Not mapped 100%
Gearys Flat 16.3 km Not mapped 100%
Hollisdale 16.4 km Not mapped 100%

See all Port Macquarie-Hastings suburb profiles →