Planning Maps / Areas / Hornsby / Berowra

Berowra flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Berowra (Hornsby, NSW) - 9.21 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Berowra'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.

Berowra at a glance

Parcels 1,710 Median lot 756 m² Mapped easements 34 Train Berowra Station Bus stops 86

How Berowra is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 66%
Low Density Residential 21%
Infrastructure 8%
Public Recreation 4%
Environmental Management 2%
Local Centre 0%

Buying in Berowra? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 9.21 km², Berowra is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 87% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 17 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 756 m² across 1,710 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 Berowra

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Berowra suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
4,762
usual residents, 2021
Median age
41
years
Median household income
$2,781
per week, Hornsby suburb typical $2,468
Median rent
$580
per week, Hornsby suburb typical $515
Median mortgage
$2,700
per month
Household size
3.0
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1123, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Berowra's 4,762 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.4%
5-14 15.5%
15-19 7.7%
20-24 5.7%
25-34 7.2%
35-44 13.1%
45-54 16.4%
55-64 14.1%
65-74 8.3%
75-84 5.3%
85+ 1.2%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan, the wider ABS statistical area containing Berowra. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Berowra itself.

11,707 in 2001 to 11,761 in 2025, up 0%.

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.

Berowra 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.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Berowra 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 →

Berowra planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Berowra?

The schematic on this page is a Berowra 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 Berowra address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Berowra flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Berowra and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 2%). Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Berowra bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 87% of Berowra is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Hornsby average of 69%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Berowra?

The dominant planning zone in Berowra is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Infrastructure. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Berowra have heritage-listed places?

Berowra 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 Berowra?

Across 1,710 surveyed parcels in Berowra, the median lot size is about 756 m². There are also 34 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 Berowra have a train station?

Yes - Berowra has 1 train station: Berowra Station. It is also served by 86 bus stops.

What is the population of Berowra?

At the 2021 Census Berowra had 4,762 usual residents, with a median age of 41 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan statistical area, which contains Berowra, went from 11,707 people in 2001 to 11,761 in 2025, up 0%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Berowra alone.

Is Berowra an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Berowra scores 1123 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales - 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 Berowra?

Median household income in Berowra was $2,781 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,468 for the typical suburb in Hornsby. Median rent was $580 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,700 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Berowra property?

A Berowra planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Mount Kuring-Gai 2.5 km 0% 96%
Berowra Heights 3.3 km 0% 87%
Cottage Point
Northern Beaches
4.9 km 0% 99%
Berrilee 5.0 km 0% 97%
Mount Colah 5.3 km 0% 86%
Hornsby Heights 5.8 km 0% 94%
Duffys Forest
Northern Beaches
6.1 km Not mapped 73%
Ku-Ring-Gai Chase
Northern Beaches
6.8 km 0% 99%
Cowan 6.9 km 0% 95%
North Turramurra
Ku-Ring-Gai
7.0 km 0% 86%

See all Hornsby suburb profiles →