South Melbourne flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of South Melbourne
(Port Phillip, VIC) - 2.16 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
2.16 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to South 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
South Melbourne at a glance
How South Melbourne is zoned
Selling in South 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 South Melbourne address.
Across its 2.16 km², South Melbourne is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 14% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 134 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1). The median lot measures about 1,027 m² across 12,109 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 South Melbourne
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the South 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 1093, and decile 10 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of South Melbourne's 11,548 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of South Melbourne, the wider ABS statistical area containing South Melbourne. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than South Melbourne itself.
8,498 in 2001 to 13,132 in 2025, up 55%.
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.
South 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 South Melbourne address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any South 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 134 heritage-listed places on record
- Walking distance to the nearest tram stop
- 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 South Melbourne lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a South 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 South 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 →South Melbourne planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of South Melbourne?
The schematic on this page is a South Melbourne flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 14% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any South Melbourne address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is South Melbourne flood-prone?
About 14% of South Melbourne falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 20%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is South Melbourne bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers South 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 South Melbourne?
The dominant planning zone in South Melbourne is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1), though the suburb also includes Capital City Zone (CCZ1) and Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ2). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does South Melbourne have heritage-listed places?
South Melbourne has 134 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 South Melbourne?
Across 12,109 surveyed parcels in South Melbourne, the median lot size is about 1,027 m². There are also 555 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 South Melbourne have a train station?
There is no train station inside South Melbourne itself. The suburb is served by 16 bus stops and 29 tram stops.
What is the population of South Melbourne?
At the 2021 Census South Melbourne had 11,548 usual residents, with a median age of 39 and an average household size of 1.9 people. The wider South Melbourne statistical area, which contains South Melbourne, went from 8,498 people in 2001 to 13,132 in 2025, up 55%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than South Melbourne alone.
Is South Melbourne an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), South Melbourne scores 1093 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 South Melbourne?
Median household income in South Melbourne was $2,101 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,096 for the typical suburb in Port Phillip. Median rent was $421 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,200 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a South Melbourne property?
A South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southbank Melbourne |
1.0 km | 60% | 0% |
| South Wharf Melbourne |
1.2 km | 30% | 0% |
| Albert Park | 1.5 km | 7% | 0% |
| Melbourne Melbourne |
1.8 km | 18% | 0% |
| Middle Park | 1.8 km | 14% | 0% |
| Docklands Melbourne |
2.3 km | 48% | 0% |
| South Yarra Stonnington |
2.7 km | 15% | 0% |
| East Melbourne Melbourne |
2.8 km | <1% | 0% |
| Cremorne Yarra |
2.9 km | 16% | 0% |
| St Kilda West | 2.9 km | 18% | 0% |