Somerset flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Somerset (Waratah-Wynyard, TAS) - 27.07 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 Somerset'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 Somerset

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.

Somerset at a glance

Parcels 2,147 Median lot 773 m²

How Somerset is zoned

Agriculture 44%
Rural Living 33%
General Residential 9%
Rural 5%
Environmental Management 4%
General Industrial 2%

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

Across its 27.07 km², Somerset is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 12% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 92% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Agriculture. The median lot measures about 773 m² across 2,147 parcels.

Who lives in Somerset

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

Population
4,067
usual residents, 2021
Median age
48
years
Median household income
$1,100
per week, Waratah-Wynyard suburb typical $1,397
Median rent
$240
per week, Waratah-Wynyard suburb typical $250
Median mortgage
$1,192
per month
Household size
2.2
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 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 876, and decile 2 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Somerset's 4,067 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.2%
5-14 11.0%
15-19 5.2%
20-24 5.3%
25-34 9.5%
35-44 10.6%
45-54 13.0%
55-64 15.3%
65-74 13.5%
75-84 8.3%
85+ 3.1%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

3,965 in 2001 to 4,169 in 2025, up 5%.

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.

Somerset 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 Somerset 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 12% of Somerset. 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 2,100 Somerset addresses (+$9 with the planning report).

See what's in the $9 report →

Somerset planning - frequently asked

Is Somerset flood-prone?

About 12% of Somerset falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 11%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 2,100 Somerset addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.

Is Somerset bushfire-prone?

Around 92% of Somerset is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Waratah-Wynyard average of 98%.

Is Somerset under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 12% of Somerset, and over about 17% 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 1,000 ft, with an average of 3,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 0 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 Somerset?

The dominant planning zone in Somerset is Agriculture, though the suburb also includes Rural Living and General Residential.

Does Somerset have heritage-listed places?

Somerset has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Somerset?

Across 2,147 surveyed parcels in Somerset, the median lot size is about 773 m².

What is the population of Somerset?

At the 2021 Census Somerset had 4,067 usual residents, with a median age of 48 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Somerset statistical area, which contains Somerset, went from 3,965 people in 2001 to 4,169 in 2025, up 5%.

Is Somerset an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Somerset scores 876 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 Somerset?

Median household income in Somerset was $1,100 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,397 for the typical suburb in Waratah-Wynyard. Median rent was $240 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,192 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Doctors Rocks 4.4 km 19% 96%
East Cam
Burnie
4.6 km 8% 100%
Camdale
Burnie
4.6 km 21% 61%
Mount Hicks 4.9 km 10% 100%
West Mooreville
Burnie
5.1 km 6% 100%
Ocean Vista
Burnie
5.4 km 5% 78%
Elliott 5.6 km 8% 100%
Cooee
Burnie
6.5 km 20% 42%
Shorewell Park
Burnie
6.6 km 8% 58%
Wynyard 6.9 km 23% 87%

See all Waratah-Wynyard suburb profiles →