Widden flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Widden (Muswellbrook, NSW) - 590.57 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Widden'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 Widden

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.

Widden at a glance

Parcels 526 Median lot 159,864 m² Mapped easements 2

How Widden is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 81%
Primary Production 16%
Forestry 2%
Environmental Management 2%
Natural Waterways 0%
Infrastructure 0%

Buying in Widden? 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 590.57 km², Widden is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 7 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 159,864 m² across 526 parcels.

Who lives in Widden

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

Population
87
usual residents, 2021
Median age
29
years
Median household income
$1,937
per week, Muswellbrook suburb typical $1,812
Median rent
$300
per week, Muswellbrook suburb typical $280
Household size
2.1
people, average

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 6
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 992, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Widden's 87 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 10.5%
5-14 0.0%
15-19 3.5%
20-24 20.9%
25-34 32.6%
35-44 8.1%
45-54 11.6%
55-64 3.5%
65-74 9.3%
75-84 0.0%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

3,877 in 2001 to 4,264 in 2025, up 10%.

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.

Widden data sources and coverage

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

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedNSW 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 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 Widden 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 Widden lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Widden planning - frequently asked

Is Widden flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Widden and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 0%).

Is Widden bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Widden is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Muswellbrook average of 96%.

Is Widden under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 8% of Widden in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 5,000 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 Widden?

The dominant planning zone in Widden is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Primary Production and Forestry.

Does Widden have heritage-listed places?

Widden has 7 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Widden?

Across 526 surveyed parcels in Widden, the median lot size is about 159,864 m². There are also 2 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

What is the population of Widden?

At the 2021 Census Widden had 87 usual residents, with a median age of 29 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Muswellbrook Surrounds statistical area, which contains Widden, went from 3,877 people in 2001 to 4,264 in 2025, up 10%.

Is Widden an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Widden scores 992 and sits in decile 6 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Widden?

Median household income in Widden was $1,937 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,812 for the typical suburb in Muswellbrook. Median rent was $300 a week.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Nullo Mountain
Mid-Western Regional
12.3 km 0% 100%
Kerrabee 15.8 km 0% 100%
Upper Bylong
Mid-Western Regional
16.8 km 0% 100%
Baerami Creek 18.2 km Not mapped 100%
Lee Creek
Mid-Western Regional
18.7 km 0% 100%
Coxs Creek
Mid-Western Regional
21.0 km 0% 100%
Growee
Mid-Western Regional
21.1 km 0% 100%
Ginghi
Mid-Western Regional
24.0 km 0% 100%
Budden
Mid-Western Regional
25.8 km 0% 100%
Coxs Crown
Mid-Western Regional
25.9 km 0% 100%

See all Muswellbrook suburb profiles →