North Melbourne flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of North Melbourne
(Melbourne, VIC) - 2.37 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is moderately 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
2.37 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to North 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
North Melbourne at a glance
How North Melbourne is zoned
Selling in North 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 North Melbourne address.
Across its 2.37 km², North Melbourne is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 29% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 103 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Mixed Use Zone (MUZ). The median lot measures about 912 m² across 11,584 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 North Melbourne
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the North 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 1054, and decile 9 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of North Melbourne's 14,953 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of North Melbourne, the wider ABS statistical area containing North Melbourne. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than North Melbourne itself.
9,226 in 2001 to 19,286 in 2025, up 109%.
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.
North 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 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 North Melbourne address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any North 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 103 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 North Melbourne lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a North 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 North 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 →North Melbourne planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of North Melbourne?
The schematic on this page is a North Melbourne flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 29% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any North Melbourne address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is North Melbourne flood-prone?
About 29% of North Melbourne falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 22%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is North Melbourne bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers North 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 North Melbourne?
The dominant planning zone in North Melbourne is Mixed Use Zone (MUZ), though the suburb also includes General Residential Zone (GRZ1) and Special Use Zone (SUZ7). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does North Melbourne have heritage-listed places?
North Melbourne has 103 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 North Melbourne?
Across 11,584 surveyed parcels in North Melbourne, the median lot size is about 912 m². There are also 864 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 North Melbourne have a train station?
Yes - North Melbourne has 3 train stations: Arden Station, Flemington Bridge Station, Macaulay Station. It is also served by 23 bus stops and 29 tram stops.
What is the population of North Melbourne?
At the 2021 Census North Melbourne had 14,953 usual residents, with a median age of 31 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider North Melbourne statistical area, which contains North Melbourne, went from 9,226 people in 2001 to 19,286 in 2025, up 109%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than North Melbourne alone.
Is North Melbourne an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), North Melbourne scores 1054 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 9 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 North Melbourne?
Median household income in North Melbourne was $1,717 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,926 for the typical suburb in Melbourne. Median rent was $381 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,035 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a North Melbourne property?
A North 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkville | 1.2 km | 3% | 0% |
| Kensington | 1.7 km | 26% | 0% |
| Travancore Moonee Valley |
1.8 km | 5% | 0% |
| Flemington Moonee Valley |
2.1 km | 41% | 0% |
| Carlton | 2.3 km | 5% | 0% |
| Carlton North | 2.4 km | 10% | 0% |
| Docklands | 2.4 km | 48% | 0% |
| West Melbourne | 2.6 km | 14% | 0% |
| Princes Hill Yarra |
2.6 km | 10% | 0% |
| Ascot Vale Moonee Valley |
2.6 km | 23% | 0% |