Upper Ferntree Gully flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Upper Ferntree Gully
(Knox, VIC) - 3.58 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
3.58 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Upper 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
Upper Ferntree Gully at a glance
How Upper Ferntree Gully is zoned
Selling in Upper 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 Upper Ferntree Gully address.
Across its 3.58 km², Upper Ferntree Gully is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 7% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 82% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 5 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1). The median lot measures about 1,020 m² across 1,736 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 Upper Ferntree Gully
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Upper 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 1027, and decile 7 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Upper Ferntree Gully's 3,417 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Ferntree Gully (South) - Upper Ferntree Gully, the wider ABS statistical area containing Upper Ferntree Gully. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Upper Ferntree Gully itself.
14,986 in 2001 to 15,630 in 2025, up 4%.
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.
Upper 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 Upper Ferntree Gully address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Upper 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 5 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 Upper Ferntree Gully lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Upper 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 Upper 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 →Upper Ferntree Gully planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Upper Ferntree Gully?
The schematic on this page is a Upper Ferntree Gully flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 7% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Upper Ferntree Gully address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Upper Ferntree Gully flood-prone?
About 7% of Upper 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 Upper Ferntree Gully bushfire-prone?
Around 82% of Upper 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 Upper Ferntree Gully?
The dominant planning zone in Upper Ferntree Gully is Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ1), though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential Zone (LDRZ) and Green Wedge Zone (GWZ2). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Upper Ferntree Gully have heritage-listed places?
Upper Ferntree Gully has 5 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 Upper Ferntree Gully?
Across 1,736 surveyed parcels in Upper Ferntree Gully, the median lot size is about 1,020 m². There are also 572 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 Upper Ferntree Gully have a train station?
Yes - Upper Ferntree Gully has 1 train station: Upper Ferntree Gully Station. It is also served by 13 bus stops.
What is the population of Upper Ferntree Gully?
At the 2021 Census Upper Ferntree Gully had 3,417 usual residents, with a median age of 41 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Ferntree Gully (South) - Upper Ferntree Gully statistical area, which contains Upper Ferntree Gully, went from 14,986 people in 2001 to 15,630 in 2025, up 4%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Upper Ferntree Gully alone.
Is Upper Ferntree Gully an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Upper Ferntree Gully scores 1027 and sits in decile 8 of 10 nationally and decile 7 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 Upper Ferntree Gully?
Median household income in Upper Ferntree Gully was $2,039 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,915 for the typical suburb in Knox. Median rent was $369 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,000 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Upper Ferntree Gully property?
An Upper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upwey Yarra Ranges |
1.5 km | 3% | 100% |
| Tremont Yarra Ranges |
2.3 km | <1% | 100% |
| Ferntree Gully | 3.0 km | 6% | 24% |
| Tecoma Yarra Ranges |
3.1 km | 6% | 100% |
| Ferny Creek Yarra Ranges |
3.3 km | 0% | 100% |
| Belgrave Yarra Ranges |
4.1 km | 7% | 100% |
| Belgrave Heights Yarra Ranges |
4.2 km | 4% | 100% |
| Lysterfield | 4.2 km | 7% | 92% |
| Sherbrooke Yarra Ranges |
4.4 km | 1% | 100% |
| The Basin | 4.8 km | 1% | 82% |