Scopus flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Scopus (Circular Head, TAS) - 29.65 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Scopus'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 Scopus

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.

Scopus at a glance

Parcels 113 Median lot 197,315 m²

How Scopus is zoned

Agriculture 78%
Rural 21%
Environmental Management 1%

Buying in Scopus? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.

Across its 29.65 km², Scopus is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 21% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Agriculture. The median lot measures about 197,315 m² across 113 parcels.

Who lives in Scopus

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Scopus suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
56
usual residents, 2021
Median age
36
years
Median household income
$1,541
per week, Circular Head suburb typical $1,338
Median rent
$213
per week, Circular Head suburb typical $216
Median mortgage
$679
per month
Household size
2.6
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 964, and decile 7 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Scopus's 56 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.1%
5-14 13.6%
15-19 7.6%
20-24 4.5%
25-34 15.2%
35-44 15.2%
45-54 10.6%
55-64 18.2%
65-74 9.1%
75-84 0.0%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of North West, the wider ABS statistical area containing Scopus. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Scopus itself.

4,238 in 2001 to 4,400 in 2025, up 4%.

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.

Scopus data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedthe Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania)
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedthe Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania)
ZoningMappedthe Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania)
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedthe Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania)
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldthe Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania), Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Scopus 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 2% of Scopus. 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 20 Scopus addresses (+$9 with the planning report).

See what's in the $9 report →

Scopus planning - frequently asked

Is Scopus flood-prone?

About 21% of Scopus falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 14%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 20 Scopus addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.

Is Scopus bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Scopus is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Circular Head average of 99%.

Is Scopus under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 2% of Scopus, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 3 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 1,000 ft, with an average of 1,500 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 Scopus?

The dominant planning zone in Scopus is Agriculture, though the suburb also includes Rural and Environmental Management.

Does Scopus have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Scopus.

What is the typical lot size in Scopus?

Across 113 surveyed parcels in Scopus, the median lot size is about 197,315 m².

What is the population of Scopus?

At the 2021 Census Scopus had 56 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider North West statistical area, which contains Scopus, went from 4,238 people in 2001 to 4,400 in 2025, up 4%.

Is Scopus an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Scopus scores 964 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 7 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Scopus?

Median household income in Scopus was $1,541 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,338 for the typical suburb in Circular Head. Median rent was $213 a week and the median mortgage repayment $679 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Mella 4.6 km 9% 100%
Montagu 6.1 km 16% 100%
Broadmeadows 7.7 km 12% 100%
Smithton 10.3 km 26% 97%
Scotchtown 12.2 km 15% 100%
West Montagu 14.0 km 13% 100%
Brittons Swamp 14.9 km 8% 100%
Irishtown 15.8 km 7% 100%
Edith Creek 16.7 km 15% 100%
Christmas Hills 17.5 km 8% 100%

See all Circular Head suburb profiles →