Molesworth flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Molesworth
(Derwent Valley, TAS) - 34.71 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
34.71 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Molesworth'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 Molesworth
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 6,000 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.
Molesworth at a glance
How Molesworth is zoned
Buying in Molesworth? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 34.71 km², Molesworth is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 5% of the suburb sits 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 Rural Living. The median lot measures about 35,410 m² across 407 parcels.
Who lives in Molesworth
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Molesworth 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 953, and decile 6 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Molesworth's 683 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Derwent Valley, the wider ABS statistical area containing Molesworth. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Molesworth itself.
2,973 in 2001 to 3,464 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.
Molesworth 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 Molesworth 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 300 Molesworth addresses (+$9 with the planning report).
See what's in the $9 report →Molesworth planning - frequently asked
Is Molesworth flood-prone?
About 5% of Molesworth falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 8%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 300 Molesworth addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.
Is Molesworth bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Molesworth is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Derwent Valley average of 97%.
Is Molesworth under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 6% of Molesworth 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 Molesworth?
The dominant planning zone in Molesworth is Rural Living, though the suburb also includes Rural and Environmental Management.
Does Molesworth have heritage-listed places?
Molesworth has 7 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Molesworth?
Across 407 surveyed parcels in Molesworth, the median lot size is about 35,410 m².
What is the population of Molesworth?
At the 2021 Census Molesworth had 683 usual residents, with a median age of 44 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Derwent Valley statistical area, which contains Molesworth, went from 2,973 people in 2001 to 3,464 in 2025, up 17%.
Is Molesworth an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Molesworth scores 953 and sits in decile 4 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 Molesworth?
Median household income in Molesworth was $1,583 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,375 for the typical suburb in Derwent Valley. Median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,400 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorell Creek | 2.8 km | 16% | 92% |
| Malbina | 3.2 km | 12% | 100% |
| Collinsvale Glenorchy |
3.9 km | 4% | 100% |
| Glenlusk Glenorchy |
4.6 km | 4% | 100% |
| Boyer | 6.2 km | 9% | 91% |
| Granton | 6.3 km | 11% | 87% |
| Berriedale Glenorchy |
6.4 km | 16% | 61% |
| Chigwell Glenorchy |
6.7 km | 10% | 68% |
| Claremont Glenorchy |
6.8 km | 10% | 73% |
| New Norfolk | 7.8 km | 15% | 73% |