Berowra Waters flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Berowra Waters (Hornsby, NSW) - 14.7 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
14.7 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Berowra Waters'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 Waters at a glance
How Berowra Waters is zoned
Buying in Berowra Waters? 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 14.7 km², Berowra Waters is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 59% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 17 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Natural Waterways. The median lot measures about 864 m² across 318 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 Waters
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Berowra Waters 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 1094, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Berowra Waters's 169 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Galston - Laughtondale, the wider ABS statistical area containing Berowra Waters. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Berowra Waters itself.
5,182 in 2001 to 5,472 in 2025, up 6%.
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 Waters 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 | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Demographics | Available | Australian 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 Waters 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 Waters planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Berowra Waters?
The schematic on this page is a Berowra Waters 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 Waters address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Berowra Waters flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Berowra Waters 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 Waters bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 59% of Berowra Waters 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 Waters?
The dominant planning zone in Berowra Waters is Natural Waterways, though the suburb also includes Environmental Conservation and National Parks and Nature Reserves. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Berowra Waters have heritage-listed places?
Berowra Waters 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 Waters?
Across 318 surveyed parcels in Berowra Waters, the median lot size is about 864 m².
Does Berowra Waters have a train station?
There is no train station inside Berowra Waters itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops.
What is the population of Berowra Waters?
At the 2021 Census Berowra Waters had 169 usual residents, with a median age of 56 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Galston - Laughtondale statistical area, which contains Berowra Waters, went from 5,182 people in 2001 to 5,472 in 2025, up 6%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Berowra Waters alone.
Is Berowra Waters an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Berowra Waters scores 1094 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 Waters?
Median household income in Berowra Waters was $1,812 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,468 for the typical suburb in Hornsby. Median rent was $575 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,383 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Berowra Waters property?
A Berowra Waters 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 suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowan | 2.7 km | 0% | 95% |
| Berowra Heights | 5.1 km | 0% | 87% |
| Fiddletown | 5.4 km | 0% | 99% |
| Milsons Passage | 5.6 km | 0% | 44% |
| Cheero Point Central Coast |
6.4 km | 0% | 94% |
| Mooney Mooney Central Coast |
6.9 km | 0% | 31% |
| Bar Point Central Coast |
6.9 km | 0% | 74% |
| Berrilee | 7.1 km | 0% | 97% |
| Berowra | 7.9 km | 0% | 87% |
| Cogra Bay Central Coast |
8.3 km | 0% | 100% |