Ferntree Gully flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Ferntree Gully
(Knox, VIC) - 14.01 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
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
14.01 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Ferntree Gully'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
Ferntree Gully at a glance
How Ferntree Gully is zoned
Selling in Ferntree Gully? 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 Ferntree Gully address.
Across its 14.01 km², Ferntree Gully is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 6% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 24% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 17 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ4). The median lot measures about 725 m² across 13,701 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 Ferntree Gully
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Ferntree Gully 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 1005, and decile 6 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Ferntree Gully's 27,398 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Ferntree Gully - North, the wider ABS statistical area containing Ferntree Gully. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Ferntree Gully itself.
13,461 in 2001 to 14,538 in 2025, up 8%.
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.
Ferntree Gully 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 Ferntree Gully address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Ferntree Gully 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 17 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 Ferntree Gully lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Ferntree Gully 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 Ferntree Gully 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 →Ferntree Gully planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Ferntree Gully?
The schematic on this page is a Ferntree Gully flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 6% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Ferntree Gully address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Ferntree Gully flood-prone?
About 6% of Ferntree Gully falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 12%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Ferntree Gully bushfire-prone?
Around 24% of Ferntree Gully is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Knox average of 43%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Ferntree Gully?
The dominant planning zone in Ferntree Gully is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ4), though the suburb also includes Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1) and Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Ferntree Gully have heritage-listed places?
Ferntree Gully has 17 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 Ferntree Gully?
Across 13,701 surveyed parcels in Ferntree Gully, the median lot size is about 725 m². There are also 5,311 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 Ferntree Gully have a train station?
Yes - Ferntree Gully has 1 train station: Ferntree Gully Station. It is also served by 135 bus stops.
What is the population of Ferntree Gully?
At the 2021 Census Ferntree Gully had 27,398 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Ferntree Gully - North statistical area, which contains Ferntree Gully, went from 13,461 people in 2001 to 14,538 in 2025, up 8%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Ferntree Gully alone.
Is Ferntree Gully an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Ferntree Gully scores 1005 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 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 Ferntree Gully?
Median household income in Ferntree Gully was $1,770 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,915 for the typical suburb in Knox. Median rent was $386 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,918 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Ferntree Gully property?
A Ferntree Gully 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxfield | 2.8 km | 10% | 10% |
| Upper Ferntree Gully | 3.0 km | 7% | 82% |
| Tremont Yarra Ranges |
3.1 km | <1% | 100% |
| Boronia | 3.7 km | 4% | 17% |
| Upwey Yarra Ranges |
4.5 km | 3% | 100% |
| Bayswater | 4.6 km | 16% | 10% |
| Ferny Creek Yarra Ranges |
4.7 km | 0% | 100% |
| The Basin | 4.8 km | 1% | 82% |
| Wantirna South | 5.5 km | 13% | 41% |
| Scoresby | 5.6 km | 37% | 46% |