Planning Maps / Areas / Hawkesbury / Central Macdonald

Central Macdonald flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Central Macdonald (Hawkesbury, NSW) - 12.92 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Central Macdonald'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.

Central Macdonald at a glance

Parcels 48 Median lot 74,899 m² Mapped easements 4 Bus stops 10

How Central Macdonald is zoned

National Parks and Nature Reserves 62%
Environmental Living 38%

Buying in Central Macdonald? 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 12.92 km², Central Macdonald is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 12 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 74,899 m² across 48 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 Central Macdonald

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

Population
49
usual residents, 2021

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 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1010, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Central Macdonald's 49 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.9%
5-14 15.7%
15-19 5.9%
20-24 0.0%
25-34 0.0%
35-44 13.7%
45-54 7.8%
55-64 23.5%
65-74 17.6%
75-84 9.8%
85+ 0.0%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Bilpin - Colo - St Albans, the wider ABS statistical area containing Central Macdonald. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Central Macdonald itself.

2,518 in 2001 to 2,781 in 2025, up 10%.

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.

Central Macdonald 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 Central Macdonald 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 →

Central Macdonald planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Central Macdonald?

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

Is Central Macdonald flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Central Macdonald and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 1%). Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Central Macdonald bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 100% of Central Macdonald is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Hawkesbury average of 84%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Central Macdonald?

The dominant planning zone in Central Macdonald is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Environmental Living. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Central Macdonald have heritage-listed places?

Central Macdonald has 12 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 Central Macdonald?

Across 48 surveyed parcels in Central Macdonald, the median lot size is about 74,899 m². There are also 4 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 Central Macdonald have a train station?

There is no train station inside Central Macdonald itself. The suburb is served by 10 bus stops.

Is Central Macdonald an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Central Macdonald scores 1010 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 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.

Do I need a planning report for a Central Macdonald property?

A Central Macdonald 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
Lower Macdonald 2.6 km 0% 99%
Webbs Creek 6.2 km 0% 100%
Wisemans Ferry
Hornsby
6.8 km 10% 84%
Wrights Creek 8.8 km 0% 100%
St Albans 9.7 km 0% 100%
Upper Macdonald 9.8 km 0% 100%
Leets Vale
The Hills Shire
10.2 km 0% 96%
Gunderman
Central Coast
10.4 km <1% 96%
Ten Mile Hollow 10.8 km 0% 100%
Laughtondale
Hornsby
12.5 km 18% 88%

See all Hawkesbury suburb profiles →