Westleigh flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Westleigh
(Hornsby, NSW) - 3.83 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
3.83 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Westleigh'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 Westleigh
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 2,000 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.
Westleigh at a glance
How Westleigh is zoned
Buying in Westleigh? 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 3.83 km², Westleigh is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 82% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 701 m² across 1,576 parcels.
Who lives in Westleigh
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Westleigh 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 1157, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Westleigh's 4,501 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Normanhurst - Thornleigh - Westleigh, the wider ABS statistical area containing Westleigh. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Westleigh itself.
17,568 in 2001 to 19,875 in 2025, up 13%.
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.
Westleigh 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 Westleigh 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 57% of Westleigh. 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 Westleigh. 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 Westleigh lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Westleigh planning - frequently asked
Is Westleigh flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Westleigh 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 Westleigh; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Westleigh bushfire-prone?
Around 82% of Westleigh is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Hornsby average of 70%.
Is Westleigh under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 57% of Westleigh, 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 3,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 12 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 Westleigh?
The dominant planning zone in Westleigh is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Environmental Management.
Does Westleigh have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Westleigh.
What is the typical lot size in Westleigh?
Across 1,576 surveyed parcels in Westleigh, the median lot size is about 701 m². There are also 7 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Westleigh have a train station?
There is no train station inside Westleigh itself. The suburb is served by 69 bus stops.
What is the population of Westleigh?
At the 2021 Census Westleigh had 4,501 usual residents, with a median age of 45 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Normanhurst - Thornleigh - Westleigh statistical area, which contains Westleigh, went from 17,568 people in 2001 to 19,875 in 2025, up 13%.
Is Westleigh an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Westleigh scores 1157 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 Westleigh?
Median household income in Westleigh was $3,021 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,468 for the typical suburb in Hornsby. Median rent was $705 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,000 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thornleigh | 1.7 km | 0% | 41% |
| Hornsby | 2.4 km | 0% | 50% |
| Normanhurst | 2.8 km | 0% | 31% |
| Cherrybrook | 3.0 km | 0% | 40% |
| Pennant Hills | 3.0 km | 0% | 65% |
| Waitara | 3.0 km | 0% | 0% |
| Dural | 3.5 km | 0% | 81% |
| Wahroonga Ku-Ring-Gai |
4.0 km | <1% | 30% |
| Asquith | 4.7 km | 0% | 52% |
| Warrawee Ku-Ring-Gai |
5.0 km | 3% | 2% |