Howth flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Howth
(Central Coast, TAS) - 3.93 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
3.93 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Howth'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 Howth
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: 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.
Howth at a glance
How Howth is zoned
Buying in Howth? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 3.93 km², Howth is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 6% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 98% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Agriculture. The median lot measures about 42,113 m² across 51 parcels.
Who lives in Howth
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Howth 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 974, and decile 8 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Howth's 61 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Penguin - Sulphur Creek, the wider ABS statistical area containing Howth. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Howth itself.
4,877 in 2001 to 5,573 in 2025, up 14%.
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.
Howth 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 Howth 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 11% of Howth. 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 30 Howth addresses (+$9 with the planning report).
See what's in the $9 report →Howth planning - frequently asked
Is Howth flood-prone?
About 6% of Howth falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 10%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 30 Howth addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.
Is Howth bushfire-prone?
Around 98% of Howth is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Central Coast average of 96%.
Is Howth under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 11% of Howth, and over about 12% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 3 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 1,000 ft, with an average of 3,000 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 Howth?
The dominant planning zone in Howth is Agriculture, though the suburb also includes Rural and Utilities.
Does Howth have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Howth.
What is the typical lot size in Howth?
Across 51 surveyed parcels in Howth, the median lot size is about 42,113 m².
What is the population of Howth?
At the 2021 Census Howth had 61 usual residents, with a median age of 52 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Penguin - Sulphur Creek statistical area, which contains Howth, went from 4,877 people in 2001 to 5,573 in 2025, up 14%.
Is Howth an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Howth scores 974 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 8 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Howth?
Median household income in Howth was $1,125 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,374 for the typical suburb in Central Coast. Median rent was $153 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,131 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur Creek | 1.9 km | 9% | 92% |
| Heybridge | 2.4 km | 8% | 96% |
| Preservation Bay | 3.6 km | 14% | 82% |
| Chasm Creek Burnie |
4.2 km | 9% | 86% |
| Cuprona | 4.7 km | 6% | 100% |
| Round Hill Burnie |
5.4 km | 6% | 93% |
| West Pine | 5.9 km | 6% | 100% |
| Stowport Burnie |
6.0 km | 8% | 100% |
| Wivenhoe Burnie |
6.7 km | 24% | 54% |
| Penguin | 7.0 km | 7% | 95% |