Low Head flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Low Head
(George Town, TAS) - 22.11 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 26 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
22.11 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Low Head'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 Low Head
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 26 Sep 2026
typical observed square 1 a day
Night movements: observed, lowest 9,500 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.
Low Head at a glance
How Low Head is zoned
Buying in Low Head? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 22.11 km², Low Head is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 7% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 97% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 14 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Agriculture. The median lot measures about 1,107 m² across 547 parcels.
Who lives in Low Head
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Low Head 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 933, and decile 5 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Low Head's 619 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of George Town, the wider ABS statistical area containing Low Head. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Low Head itself.
6,642 in 2001 to 7,465 in 2025, up 12%.
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.
Low Head 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 26 September 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 Low Head 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 42% of Low Head. 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 490 Low Head addresses (+$9 with the planning report).
See what's in the $9 report →Low Head planning - frequently asked
Is Low Head flood-prone?
About 7% of Low Head 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 490 Low Head addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.
Is Low Head bushfire-prone?
Around 97% of Low Head is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a George Town average of 97%.
Is Low Head under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 42% of Low Head, and over about 54% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 26 Sep 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 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 Low Head?
The dominant planning zone in Low Head is Agriculture, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and General Residential.
Does Low Head have heritage-listed places?
Low Head has 14 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Low Head?
Across 547 surveyed parcels in Low Head, the median lot size is about 1,107 m².
What is the population of Low Head?
At the 2021 Census Low Head had 619 usual residents, with a median age of 61 and an average household size of 1.9 people. The wider George Town statistical area, which contains Low Head, went from 6,642 people in 2001 to 7,465 in 2025, up 12%.
Is Low Head an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Low Head scores 933 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 5 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Low Head?
Median household income in Low Head was $983 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,156 for the typical suburb in George Town. Median rent was $230 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,350 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Town | 5.3 km | 8% | 95% |
| Kelso West Tamar |
7.4 km | 28% | 99% |
| Beechford | 8.1 km | 11% | 100% |
| Bell Bay | 8.2 km | 9% | 79% |
| Clarence Point West Tamar |
9.5 km | 6% | 98% |
| Greens Beach West Tamar |
10.2 km | 10% | 98% |
| Beauty Point West Tamar |
12.1 km | 7% | 90% |
| Lefroy | 12.3 km | 9% | 100% |
| Rowella West Tamar |
13.6 km | 15% | 100% |
| Badger Head West Tamar |
14.3 km | 6% | 100% |