Kelso flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Kelso
(West Tamar, TAS) - 9.27 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
9.27 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Kelso'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 Kelso
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.
Kelso at a glance
How Kelso is zoned
Buying in Kelso? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 9.27 km², Kelso is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 28% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 99% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural. The median lot measures about 1,233 m² across 204 parcels.
Who lives in Kelso
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Kelso 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 947, and decile 6 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Kelso's 182 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Beauty Point - Beaconsfield, the wider ABS statistical area containing Kelso. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Kelso itself.
3,600 in 2001 to 4,216 in 2025, up 17%.
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.
Kelso 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 Kelso 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 8% of Kelso. 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 150 Kelso addresses (+$9 with the planning report).
See what's in the $9 report →Kelso planning - frequently asked
Is Kelso flood-prone?
About 28% of Kelso falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 9%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 150 Kelso addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.
Is Kelso bushfire-prone?
Around 99% of Kelso is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a West Tamar average of 95%.
Is Kelso under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 8% of Kelso, and over about 11% 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 500 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 Kelso?
The dominant planning zone in Kelso is Rural, though the suburb also includes Rural Living and Environmental Management.
Does Kelso have heritage-listed places?
Kelso has 2 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Kelso?
Across 204 surveyed parcels in Kelso, the median lot size is about 1,233 m².
What is the population of Kelso?
At the 2021 Census Kelso had 182 usual residents, with a median age of 62 and an average household size of 1.9 people. The wider Beauty Point - Beaconsfield statistical area, which contains Kelso, went from 3,600 people in 2001 to 4,216 in 2025, up 17%.
Is Kelso an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Kelso scores 947 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 6 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Kelso?
Median household income in Kelso was $1,025 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,293 for the typical suburb in West Tamar. Median rent was $285 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,250 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greens Beach | 3.4 km | 10% | 98% |
| Clarence Point | 3.5 km | 6% | 98% |
| Beauty Point | 6.6 km | 7% | 90% |
| York Town | 7.4 km | 5% | 100% |
| Low Head George Town |
7.4 km | 7% | 97% |
| Bell Bay George Town |
7.8 km | 9% | 79% |
| Badger Head | 7.8 km | 6% | 100% |
| George Town George Town |
8.9 km | 8% | 95% |
| Beaconsfield | 12.4 km | 5% | 99% |
| Rowella | 12.5 km | 15% | 100% |