Broadwater flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Broadwater
(Richmond Valley, NSW) - 59.35 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
59.35 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Broadwater's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Aircraft noise and flight paths over Broadwater
Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.
Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 2 Oct 2026
typical observed square 4 a day
Night movements: not established - night is sampled as often as day, but too few night flights have been seen here to conclude either way.
Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.
Broadwater at a glance
How Broadwater is zoned
Buying in Broadwater? 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 59.35 km², Broadwater is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 10% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 90% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 9 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 1,271 m² across 517 parcels.
Who lives in Broadwater
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Broadwater 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 888, and decile 1 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Broadwater's 670 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Evans Head, the wider ABS statistical area containing Broadwater. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Broadwater itself.
4,817 in 2001 to 6,062 in 2025, up 26%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Broadwater data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| 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 |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Observed | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 3 October 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 Broadwater 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.
The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Broadwater lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Broadwater planning - frequently asked
Is Broadwater flood-prone?
About 10% of Broadwater falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 4%.
Is Broadwater bushfire-prone?
Around 90% of Broadwater is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Richmond Valley average of 97%.
Is Broadwater under a flight path?
Aircraft were observed over about 5% of Broadwater in the period sampled, but only above 3,000 ft - the lowest measured was 5,500 ft. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.
What is the zoning in Broadwater?
The dominant planning zone in Broadwater is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Primary Production and Natural Waterways.
Does Broadwater have heritage-listed places?
Broadwater has 9 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Broadwater?
Across 517 surveyed parcels in Broadwater, the median lot size is about 1,271 m². There are also 4 registered easements mapped in the suburb.
Does Broadwater have a train station?
There is no train station inside Broadwater itself. The suburb is served by 9 bus stops.
What is the population of Broadwater?
At the 2021 Census Broadwater had 670 usual residents, with a median age of 50 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Evans Head statistical area, which contains Broadwater, went from 4,817 people in 2001 to 6,062 in 2025, up 26%.
Is Broadwater an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Broadwater scores 888 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
What is the median household income in Broadwater?
Median household income in Broadwater was $1,071 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,337 for the typical suburb in Richmond Valley. Median rent was $250 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,560 a month.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rileys Hill | 3.9 km | <1% | 93% |
| Kilgin Lismore |
5.3 km | 99% | 4% |
| Goat Island Ballina |
6.2 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Doonbah | 6.4 km | Not mapped | 96% |
| Dungarubba Lismore |
6.5 km | 100% | 23% |
| Bagotville Ballina |
6.6 km | <1% | 99% |
| Cabbage Tree Island Ballina |
7.0 km | Not mapped | 63% |
| Buckendoon Lismore |
7.5 km | 100% | 2% |
| North Woodburn Lismore |
8.0 km | 99% | 4% |
| Wardell Ballina |
8.6 km | 0% | 91% |