Waverley flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Waverley (Launceston, TAS) - 10.72 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 Waverley'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 Waverley

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.

Waverley at a glance

Parcels 744 Median lot 665 m²

How Waverley is zoned

Agriculture 74%
General Residential 8%
Rural 7%
Rural Living 5%
Light Industrial 2%
Open Space 2%

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

Across its 10.72 km², Waverley is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 5% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 94% 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 665 m² across 744 parcels.

Who lives in Waverley

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

Population
1,583
usual residents, 2021
Median age
35
years
Median household income
$1,007
per week, Launceston suburb typical $1,375
Median rent
$237
per week, Launceston suburb typical $280
Median mortgage
$867
per month
Household size
2.3
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 781, and decile 1 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Waverley's 1,583 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.9%
5-14 13.4%
15-19 4.9%
20-24 7.2%
25-34 17.1%
35-44 13.2%
45-54 11.0%
55-64 12.7%
65-74 8.9%
75-84 4.7%
85+ 1.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

3,531 in 2001 to 4,107 in 2025, up 16%.

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.

Waverley 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 Waverley 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 750 Waverley addresses (+$9 with the planning report).

See what's in the $9 report →

Waverley planning - frequently asked

Is Waverley flood-prone?

About 5% of Waverley falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 13%. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 750 Waverley addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.

Is Waverley bushfire-prone?

Around 94% of Waverley is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Launceston average of 80%.

Is Waverley under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed over about 28% of Waverley in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 4,000 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 Waverley?

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

Does Waverley have heritage-listed places?

Waverley has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Waverley?

Across 744 surveyed parcels in Waverley, the median lot size is about 665 m².

What is the population of Waverley?

At the 2021 Census Waverley had 1,583 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Waverley - St Leonards statistical area, which contains Waverley, went from 3,531 people in 2001 to 4,107 in 2025, up 16%.

Is Waverley an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Waverley scores 781 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Waverley?

Median household income in Waverley was $1,007 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,375 for the typical suburb in Launceston. Median rent was $237 a week and the median mortgage repayment $867 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Ravenswood 2.5 km 13% 88%
Newstead 4.6 km 38% 29%
Norwood 4.8 km 31% 58%
St Leonards 5.0 km 9% 98%
Punchbowl 5.5 km 15% 68%
East Launceston 5.5 km 4% 0%
Mowbray 5.6 km 17% 70%
Launceston 6.2 km 59% 32%
South Launceston 6.5 km 10% 14%
Kings Meadows 6.7 km 10% 48%

See all Launceston suburb profiles →