Brightwaters zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Brightwaters (Lake Macquarie, NSW) - 1.69 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
1.69 km² - this suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Brightwaters's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Brightwaters at a glance
How Brightwaters is zoned
Buying in Brightwaters? 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 1.69 km², Brightwaters is highly constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 75% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Environmental Management. The median lot measures about 990 m² across 450 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 Brightwaters
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Brightwaters 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 993, and decile 5 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Brightwaters's 875 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Bonnells Bay - Silverwater, the wider ABS statistical area containing Brightwaters. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Brightwaters itself.
7,450 in 2001 to 10,266 in 2025, up 38%.
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.
Brightwaters 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 | Not 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 Brightwaters 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 →Brightwaters planning - frequently asked
Is Brightwaters flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Brightwaters, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Lake Macquarie is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Brightwaters bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 75% of Brightwaters is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Lake Macquarie average of 65%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Brightwaters?
The dominant planning zone in Brightwaters is Environmental Management, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Environmental Conservation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Brightwaters have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Brightwaters. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.
What is the typical lot size in Brightwaters?
Across 450 surveyed parcels in Brightwaters, the median lot size is about 990 m². There are also 1 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 Brightwaters have a train station?
There is no train station inside Brightwaters itself. The suburb is served by 28 bus stops.
What is the population of Brightwaters?
At the 2021 Census Brightwaters had 875 usual residents, with a median age of 50 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Bonnells Bay - Silverwater statistical area, which contains Brightwaters, went from 7,450 people in 2001 to 10,266 in 2025, up 38%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Brightwaters alone.
Is Brightwaters an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Brightwaters scores 993 and sits in decile 6 of 10 nationally and decile 5 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 Brightwaters?
Median household income in Brightwaters was $1,419 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,636 for the typical suburb in Lake Macquarie. Median rent was $390 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 Brightwaters property?
A Brightwaters 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirrabooka | 0.9 km | Not mapped | 72% |
| Yarrawonga Park | 1.3 km | Not mapped | 80% |
| Windermere Park | 1.3 km | Not mapped | 33% |
| Morisset Park | 1.5 km | Not mapped | 33% |
| Sunshine | 1.6 km | Not mapped | 80% |
| Silverwater | 1.6 km | Not mapped | 91% |
| Balcolyn | 2.0 km | Not mapped | 37% |
| Bonnells Bay | 2.2 km | Not mapped | 54% |
| Summerland Point Central Coast |
3.7 km | Not mapped | 70% |
| Point Wolstoncroft Central Coast |
3.9 km | Not mapped | 100% |