Howden flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Howden
(Kingborough, TAS) - 4.21 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
4.21 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Howden'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 Howden
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 3 Oct 2026
Night movements: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
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.
Howden at a glance
How Howden is zoned
Buying in Howden? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 4.21 km², Howden is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 7% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 97% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Environmental Living. The median lot measures about 4,150 m² across 311 parcels.
Who lives in Howden
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Howden 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 1071, and decile 10 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Howden's 717 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Kingston Beach - Blackmans Bay, the wider ABS statistical area containing Howden. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Howden itself.
9,643 in 2001 to 11,344 in 2025, up 18%.
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.
Howden 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 | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Zoning | Mapped | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania), 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 Howden 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.
Published flood models are held here: a Flood Model Report is available for about 280 Howden addresses (+$9 with the planning report).
See what's in the $9 report →Howden planning - frequently asked
Is Howden flood-prone?
About 7% of Howden falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 6%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 280 Howden addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.
Is Howden bushfire-prone?
Around 97% of Howden is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Kingborough average of 94%.
Is Howden under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 6% of Howden 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 Howden?
The dominant planning zone in Howden is Environmental Living, though the suburb also includes Rural Living and Environmental Management.
Does Howden have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Howden.
What is the typical lot size in Howden?
Across 311 surveyed parcels in Howden, the median lot size is about 4,150 m².
What is the population of Howden?
At the 2021 Census Howden had 717 usual residents, with a median age of 44 and an average household size of 2.9 people. The wider Kingston Beach - Blackmans Bay statistical area, which contains Howden, went from 9,643 people in 2001 to 11,344 in 2025, up 18%.
Is Howden an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Howden scores 1071 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Howden?
Median household income in Howden was $2,324 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,550 for the typical suburb in Kingborough. Median rent was $415 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,771 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackmans Bay | 2.2 km | 6% | 48% |
| Huntingfield | 2.4 km | 7% | 89% |
| Tinderbox | 2.9 km | 4% | 100% |
| Barretta | 4.0 km | 12% | 98% |
| Kingston Beach | 4.6 km | 14% | 22% |
| Margate | 4.7 km | 7% | 97% |
| Electrona | 4.8 km | 5% | 92% |
| Kingston | 6.4 km | 6% | 86% |
| Bonnet Hill | 6.5 km | 6% | 98% |
| Coningham | 7.2 km | 3% | 98% |