Freshwater flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Freshwater (Northern Beaches, NSW) - 1.84 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
1.84 km² - this suburb is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Freshwater'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.
Freshwater at a glance
How Freshwater is zoned
Buying in Freshwater? 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 1.84 km², Freshwater is relatively unconstrained by planning overlays. About 8% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 25 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 504 m² across 2,053 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 Freshwater
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Freshwater 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 1151, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Freshwater's 9,186 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Freshwater - Brookvale, the wider ABS statistical area containing Freshwater. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Freshwater 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.
Freshwater 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 Freshwater 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 →Freshwater planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Freshwater?
The schematic on this page is a Freshwater flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 8% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Freshwater address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Freshwater flood-prone?
About 8% of Freshwater 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 Freshwater bushfire-prone?
Bushfire mapping covers Freshwater and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Northern Beaches average is 47%). Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.
What is the zoning in Freshwater?
The dominant planning zone in Freshwater is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Medium Density Residential. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Freshwater have heritage-listed places?
Freshwater has 25 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 Freshwater?
Across 2,053 surveyed parcels in Freshwater, the median lot size is about 504 m². There are also 16 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 Freshwater have a train station?
There is no train station inside Freshwater itself. The suburb is served by 102 bus stops.
What is the population of Freshwater?
At the 2021 Census Freshwater had 9,186 usual residents, with a median age of 37 and an average household size of 2.5 people. The wider Freshwater - Brookvale statistical area, which contains Freshwater, 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 Freshwater alone.
Is Freshwater an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Freshwater scores 1151 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 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 Freshwater?
Median household income in Freshwater was $2,726 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,778 for the typical suburb in Northern Beaches. Median rent was $600 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,055 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Freshwater property?
A Freshwater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queenscliff | 0.8 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Curl Curl | 0.9 km | 45% | 0% |
| North Manly | 1.2 km | 2% | 0% |
| North Curl Curl | 1.5 km | 39% | 6% |
| Manly Vale | 1.9 km | Not mapped | 23% |
| Brookvale | 2.0 km | 21% | 18% |
| Fairlight | 2.2 km | Not mapped | 0% |
| Dee Why | 2.8 km | 1% | 10% |
| Balgowlah | 3.0 km | Not mapped | 8% |
| Narraweena | 3.0 km | 5% | 8% |