Chowan Creek flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Chowan Creek (Tweed, NSW) - 12.52 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
12.52 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Chowan Creek'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.
Chowan Creek at a glance
How Chowan Creek is zoned
Buying in Chowan Creek? 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 12.52 km², Chowan Creek is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 2% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 5 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural Landscape. The median lot measures about 309,742 m² across 25 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 Chowan Creek
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Chowan Creek 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 919, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Chowan Creek's 57 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Murwillumbah Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Chowan Creek. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Chowan Creek itself.
8,963 in 2001 to 10,835 in 2025, up 21%.
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.
Chowan Creek 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 Chowan Creek 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 →Chowan Creek planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Chowan Creek?
The schematic on this page is a Chowan Creek flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 2% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Chowan Creek address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Chowan Creek flood-prone?
About 2% of Chowan Creek falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 25%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Chowan Creek bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 100% of Chowan Creek is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Tweed average of 91%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Chowan Creek?
The dominant planning zone in Chowan Creek is Rural Landscape, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Natural Waterways. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Chowan Creek have heritage-listed places?
Chowan Creek has 5 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 Chowan Creek?
Across 25 surveyed parcels in Chowan Creek, the median lot size is about 309,742 m². There are also 3 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.
What is the population of Chowan Creek?
At the 2021 Census Chowan Creek had 57 usual residents, with a median age of 59 and an average household size of 2.3 people. The wider Murwillumbah Surrounds statistical area, which contains Chowan Creek, went from 8,963 people in 2001 to 10,835 in 2025, up 21%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Chowan Creek alone.
Is Chowan Creek an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Chowan Creek scores 919 and sits in decile 2 of 10 nationally and decile 2 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 Chowan Creek?
Median household income in Chowan Creek was $866 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,394 for the typical suburb in Tweed. Median rent was $320 a week and the median mortgage repayment $919 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Chowan Creek property?
A Chowan Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smiths Creek | 2.9 km | 3% | 100% |
| Rowlands Creek | 2.9 km | 3% | 100% |
| Upper Main Arm Byron |
5.1 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Upper Burringbar | 5.1 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Uki | 5.9 km | 17% | 100% |
| Commissioners Creek | 6.6 km | 8% | 100% |
| Stokers Siding | 6.7 km | 5% | 100% |
| Dum Dum | 7.3 km | 6% | 100% |
| Palmwoods Byron |
7.6 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Terragon | 7.7 km | 9% | 99% |