Curl Curl flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Curl Curl (Northern Beaches, NSW) - 1.02 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Curl Curl'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 Curl Curl

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.

Curl Curl at a glance

Parcels 658 Median lot 497 m² Mapped easements 4 Bus stops 34 Landslide overlay 91%

How Curl Curl is zoned

Low Density Residential 52%
Public Recreation 46%
Private Recreation 2%
General Industrial 0%
Local Centre 0%

Buying in Curl Curl? 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 1.02 km², Curl Curl is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 46% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 4 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 497 m² across 658 parcels.

Who lives in Curl Curl

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

Population
2,364
usual residents, 2021
Median age
40
years
Median household income
$3,870
per week, Northern Beaches suburb typical $2,778
Median rent
$705
per week, Northern Beaches suburb typical $700
Median mortgage
$3,775
per month
Household size
3.0
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 1166, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Curl Curl's 2,364 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.0%
5-14 15.5%
15-19 8.6%
20-24 5.9%
25-34 9.6%
35-44 11.6%
45-54 19.2%
55-64 12.3%
65-74 7.0%
75-84 3.7%
85+ 1.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

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

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.

Curl Curl data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

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
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Curl Curl 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.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 100% of Curl Curl. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Published flood models are held over parts of Curl Curl. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Curl Curl lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Curl Curl planning - frequently asked

Is Curl Curl flood-prone?

About 46% of Curl Curl falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 12%. Published flood models are held over parts of Curl Curl; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.

Is Curl Curl bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Curl Curl and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Northern Beaches average is 47%).

Is Curl Curl under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 100% of Curl Curl, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 2,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 3 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. 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 Curl Curl?

The dominant planning zone in Curl Curl is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Private Recreation.

Does Curl Curl have heritage-listed places?

Curl Curl has 4 heritage-listed places on record.

What is the typical lot size in Curl Curl?

Across 658 surveyed parcels in Curl Curl, the median lot size is about 497 m². There are also 4 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Curl Curl have a train station?

There is no train station inside Curl Curl itself. The suburb is served by 34 bus stops.

What is the population of Curl Curl?

At the 2021 Census Curl Curl had 2,364 usual residents, with a median age of 40 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Freshwater - Brookvale statistical area, which contains Curl Curl, went from 18,072 people in 2001 to 23,383 in 2025, up 29%.

Is Curl Curl an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Curl Curl scores 1166 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Curl Curl?

Median household income in Curl Curl was $3,870 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,778 for the typical suburb in Northern Beaches. Median rent was $705 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,775 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
North Curl Curl 0.8 km 40% 6%
Freshwater 0.9 km 10% 0%
Queenscliff 1.5 km 13% 0%
North Manly 2.0 km 45% 0%
Brookvale 2.1 km 39% 18%
Dee Why 2.1 km 28% 10%
Narraweena 2.7 km 10% 8%
Manly Vale 2.7 km 28% 23%
Fairlight 3.0 km 14% 0%
Beacon Hill 3.5 km 3% 49%

See all Northern Beaches suburb profiles →