Brookvale flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Brookvale (Northern Beaches, NSW) - 2.19 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Brookvale'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.

Brookvale at a glance

Parcels 1,021 Median lot 768 m² Mapped easements 10 Bus stops 44 Landslide overlay 100%

How Brookvale is zoned

General Industrial 46%
Low Density Residential 15%
Productivity Support 10%
Medium Density Residential 9%
Commercial Centre 8%
Public Recreation 6%

Buying in Brookvale? 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 2.19 km², Brookvale is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 21% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 18% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 6 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is General Industrial. The median lot measures about 768 m² across 1,021 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 Brookvale

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

Population
3,389
usual residents, 2021
Median age
37
years
Median household income
$2,127
per week, Northern Beaches suburb typical $2,778
Median rent
$550
per week, Northern Beaches suburb typical $700
Median mortgage
$2,600
per month
Household size
2.2
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 1073, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Brookvale's 3,389 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.7%
5-14 7.9%
15-19 3.8%
20-24 6.4%
25-34 21.3%
35-44 18.2%
45-54 12.5%
55-64 11.3%
65-74 6.6%
75-84 2.6%
85+ 2.6%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

18,072 in 2001 to 23,383 in 2025, up 29%.

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.

Brookvale 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 Brookvale 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 →

Brookvale planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Brookvale?

The schematic on this page is a Brookvale flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 21% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Brookvale address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Brookvale flood-prone?

About 21% of Brookvale 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 Brookvale bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 18% of Brookvale is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Northern Beaches average of 47%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Brookvale?

The dominant planning zone in Brookvale is General Industrial, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Productivity Support. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Brookvale have heritage-listed places?

Brookvale has 6 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 Brookvale?

Across 1,021 surveyed parcels in Brookvale, the median lot size is about 768 m². There are also 10 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 Brookvale have a train station?

There is no train station inside Brookvale itself. The suburb is served by 44 bus stops.

What is the population of Brookvale?

At the 2021 Census Brookvale had 3,389 usual residents, with a median age of 37 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Freshwater - Brookvale statistical area, which contains Brookvale, went from 18,072 people in 2001 to 23,383 in 2025, up 29%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Brookvale alone.

Is Brookvale an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Brookvale scores 1073 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 9 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 Brookvale?

Median household income in Brookvale was $2,127 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,778 for the typical suburb in Northern Beaches. Median rent was $550 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,600 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Brookvale property?

A Brookvale 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
Narraweena 1.4 km 5% 8%
Beacon Hill 1.5 km 2% 49%
North Manly 1.5 km 2% 0%
North Curl Curl 1.9 km 39% 6%
Freshwater 2.0 km 8% 0%
Curl Curl 2.1 km 45% 0%
Allambie Heights 2.1 km Not mapped 76%
Dee Why 2.2 km 1% 10%
Manly Vale 2.3 km Not mapped 23%
Queenscliff 2.7 km Not mapped 0%

See all Northern Beaches suburb profiles →