Waitara flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Waitara
(Hornsby, NSW) - 0.71 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
0.71 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Waitara'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 Waitara
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 4 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 3,000 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.
Waitara at a glance
How Waitara is zoned
Buying in Waitara? 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 0.71 km², Waitara is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay. There are 20 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is High Density Residential. The median lot measures about 720 m² across 396 parcels.
Who lives in Waitara
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Waitara 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 1084, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Waitara's 7,837 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Wahroonga (West) - Waitara, the wider ABS statistical area containing Waitara. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Waitara itself.
5,847 in 2001 to 12,544 in 2025, up 115%.
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.
Waitara 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 Waitara 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 100% of Waitara. 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 Waitara. 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 Waitara lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Waitara planning - frequently asked
Is Waitara flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Waitara and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 10%). Published flood models are held over parts of Waitara; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Waitara bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Waitara and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Hornsby average is 70%).
Is Waitara under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 100% of Waitara, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 19 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 Waitara?
The dominant planning zone in Waitara is High Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Infrastructure.
Does Waitara have heritage-listed places?
Waitara has 20 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Waitara?
Across 396 surveyed parcels in Waitara, the median lot size is about 720 m². There are also 15 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Waitara have a train station?
Yes - Waitara has 1 train station: Waitara Station. It is also served by 14 bus stops.
What is the population of Waitara?
At the 2021 Census Waitara had 7,837 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Wahroonga (West) - Waitara statistical area, which contains Waitara, went from 5,847 people in 2001 to 12,544 in 2025, up 115%.
Is Waitara an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Waitara scores 1084 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 Waitara?
Median household income in Waitara was $2,106 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,468 for the typical suburb in Hornsby. Median rent was $490 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,200 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hornsby | 1.7 km | 0% | 50% |
| Normanhurst | 1.7 km | 0% | 31% |
| Wahroonga Ku-Ring-Gai |
1.7 km | <1% | 30% |
| Thornleigh | 2.6 km | 0% | 41% |
| Asquith | 2.6 km | 0% | 52% |
| Warrawee Ku-Ring-Gai |
2.6 km | 3% | 2% |
| North Wahroonga Ku-Ring-Gai |
2.7 km | 2% | 87% |
| Westleigh | 3.0 km | 0% | 82% |
| Turramurra Ku-Ring-Gai |
3.4 km | 2% | 27% |
| Pennant Hills | 4.4 km | 0% | 65% |