East Melbourne flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of East Melbourne
(Melbourne, VIC) - 1.86 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Profile updated 5 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
1.86 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to East Melbourne'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
East Melbourne at a glance
How East Melbourne is zoned
Selling in East Melbourne? 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 East Melbourne address.
Across its 1.86 km², East Melbourne is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay. There are 225 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ). The median lot measures about 1,399 m² across 5,962 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 East Melbourne
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the East Melbourne 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 1156, and decile 10 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of East Melbourne's 4,896 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of East Melbourne, the wider ABS statistical area containing East Melbourne. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than East Melbourne itself.
3,731 in 2001 to 5,245 in 2025, up 41%.
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.
East Melbourne 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 5 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 East Melbourne address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any East Melbourne 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 225 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 East Melbourne lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a East Melbourne 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 East Melbourne 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 →East Melbourne planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of East Melbourne?
The schematic on this page is a East Melbourne flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any East Melbourne address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is East Melbourne flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers East Melbourne and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 22%). Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is East Melbourne bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers East Melbourne 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 East Melbourne?
The dominant planning zone in East Melbourne is Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ), though the suburb also includes General Residential Zone (GRZ1) and Commercial 1 Zone (C1Z). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does East Melbourne have heritage-listed places?
East Melbourne has 225 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 East Melbourne?
Across 5,962 surveyed parcels in East Melbourne, the median lot size is about 1,399 m². There are also 411 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 East Melbourne have a train station?
Yes - East Melbourne has 2 train stations: Jolimont-Mcg Station, Parliament Station. It is also served by 9 bus stops and 22 tram stops.
What is the population of East Melbourne?
At the 2021 Census East Melbourne had 4,896 usual residents, with a median age of 42 and an average household size of 1.8 people. The wider East Melbourne statistical area, which contains East Melbourne, went from 3,731 people in 2001 to 5,245 in 2025, up 41%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than East Melbourne alone.
Is East Melbourne an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), East Melbourne scores 1156 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 East Melbourne?
Median household income in East Melbourne was $2,345 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,926 for the typical suburb in Melbourne. Median rent was $480 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,383 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a East Melbourne property?
An East Melbourne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 1.3 km | 18% | 0% |
| Collingwood Yarra |
1.7 km | 15% | 0% |
| Fitzroy Yarra |
1.7 km | 10% | 0% |
| Cremorne Yarra |
1.8 km | 16% | 0% |
| Richmond Yarra |
1.9 km | 6% | 0% |
| Southbank | 2.0 km | 60% | 0% |
| Abbotsford Yarra |
2.0 km | 18% | 0% |
| Carlton | 2.1 km | 5% | 0% |
| South Yarra Stonnington |
2.6 km | 15% | 0% |
| South Melbourne Port Phillip |
2.8 km | 14% | 0% |