Canterbury flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Canterbury
(Boroondara, VIC) - 3.16 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 6 September 2026.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
3.16 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Canterbury's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Canterbury at a glance
How Canterbury is zoned
Selling in Canterbury? The zoning and planning overlays on this page are the controls a Section 32 vendor statement discloses - a $9 planning report pulls them at the lot level for any Canterbury address.
Across its 3.16 km², Canterbury is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. About 3% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 87 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ3). The median lot measures about 691 m² across 4,504 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.
Who lives in Canterbury
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Canterbury 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 1146, and decile 10 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Canterbury's 7,800 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury, the wider ABS statistical area containing Canterbury. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Canterbury itself.
15,952 in 2001 to 16,229 in 2025, up 2%.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.
Canterbury data sources and coverage
Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Zoning | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services, Defence |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 6 September 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
What a $9 report adds for a Canterbury address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Canterbury address it resolves, on the lot boundary:
- The zone and every planning overlay that touches the lot, in the scheme's own labels
- Which flood overlay categories reach the lot
- Whether the lot is in bushfire-prone mapping, and what that triggers for a build
- Whether the lot, or a neighbour, is one of the 87 heritage-listed places on record
- Walking distance to the nearest station
- A coverage disclosure: exactly which layers were, and were not, assessed
The interactive map is free - check an address below.
Geotechnical desktop report for a Canterbury lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Canterbury address is likely to do - before you pay for a site investigation.
- Mapped geology and soil landscape on the lot
- Indicative AS 2870 site class, with the evidence behind it
- Nearby bore logs and groundwater records
- Acid sulfate soil and reactive clay screening
- Contours, slope and site elevation
- What the desktop evidence cannot tell you, stated plainly
Check a specific Canterbury 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.
See what's in the $9 report →Canterbury planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Canterbury?
The schematic on this page is a Canterbury flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 3% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Canterbury address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Canterbury flood-prone?
About 3% of Canterbury falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 10%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Canterbury bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Canterbury and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone. Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.
What is the zoning in Canterbury?
The dominant planning zone in Canterbury is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ3), though the suburb also includes Housing Choice and Transport Zone (HCTZ2) and Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Canterbury have heritage-listed places?
Canterbury has 87 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.
What is the typical lot size in Canterbury?
Across 4,504 surveyed parcels in Canterbury, the median lot size is about 691 m². There are also 795 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.
Does Canterbury have a train station?
Yes - Canterbury has 1 train station: Canterbury Station. It is also served by 22 bus stops and 2 tram stops.
What is the population of Canterbury?
At the 2021 Census Canterbury had 7,800 usual residents, with a median age of 46 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Surrey Hills (West) - Canterbury statistical area, which contains Canterbury, went from 15,952 people in 2001 to 16,229 in 2025, up 2%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Canterbury alone.
Is Canterbury an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Canterbury scores 1146 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within Victoria - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.
What is the median household income in Canterbury?
Median household income in Canterbury was $2,877 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,457 for the typical suburb in Boroondara. Median rent was $515 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,500 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Canterbury property?
A Canterbury planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage, environmental and noise - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; the full PDF report is $9.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camberwell | 1.3 km | 3% | 0% |
| Deepdene | 1.8 km | <1% | 0% |
| Balwyn | 1.8 km | 4% | 0% |
| Surrey Hills Whitehorse |
2.0 km | 2% | 0% |
| Hawthorn East | 2.6 km | 8% | 0% |
| Mont Albert Whitehorse |
2.7 km | <1% | 0% |
| Glen Iris | 3.7 km | 9% | 0% |
| Balwyn North | 3.8 km | 7% | 0% |
| Mont Albert North Whitehorse |
3.8 km | 10% | 0% |
| Hawthorn | 3.8 km | 16% | 0% |