Preston flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Preston
(Central Coast, TAS) - 41.57 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
41.57 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Preston'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 Preston
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 6,500 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.
Preston at a glance
How Preston is zoned
Buying in Preston? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 41.57 km², Preston is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 6% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Rural. The median lot measures about 119,746 m² across 170 parcels.
Who lives in Preston
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Preston 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 882, and decile 2 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Preston's 149 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Burnie - Ulverstone Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Preston. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Preston itself.
5,410 in 2001 to 5,426 in 2025, up 0%.
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.
Preston 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 Preston 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 80 Preston addresses (+$9 with the planning report).
See what's in the $9 report →Preston planning - frequently asked
Is Preston flood-prone?
About 6% of Preston 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 80 Preston addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.
Is Preston bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Preston is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Central Coast average of 96%.
Is Preston under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 2% of Preston in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 7,000 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 Preston?
The dominant planning zone in Preston is Rural, though the suburb also includes Agriculture and Utilities.
Does Preston have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Preston.
What is the typical lot size in Preston?
Across 170 surveyed parcels in Preston, the median lot size is about 119,746 m².
What is the population of Preston?
At the 2021 Census Preston had 149 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Burnie - Ulverstone Surrounds statistical area, which contains Preston, went from 5,410 people in 2001 to 5,426 in 2025, up 0%.
Is Preston an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Preston scores 882 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 2 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Preston?
Median household income in Preston was $941 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,374 for the typical suburb in Central Coast. Median rent was $220 a week and the median mortgage repayment $686 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castra | 4.3 km | 6% | 100% |
| Gunns Plains | 5.5 km | 15% | 100% |
| South Preston | 6.7 km | 7% | 100% |
| Upper Castra | 6.9 km | 6% | 100% |
| Sprent | 7.7 km | 8% | 100% |
| South Riana | 8.6 km | 9% | 100% |
| Nietta | 9.8 km | 7% | 100% |
| North Motton | 9.9 km | 10% | 100% |
| Gawler | 10.8 km | 9% | 100% |
| Spalford | 10.8 km | 8% | 100% |