Laughtondale flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Laughtondale (Hornsby, NSW) - 27.18 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
27.18 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Laughtondale'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.
Laughtondale at a glance
How Laughtondale is zoned
Buying in Laughtondale? 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 27.18 km², Laughtondale is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 18% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 88% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 6 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is National Parks and Nature Reserves. The median lot measures about 60,375 m² across 89 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 Laughtondale
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Laughtondale 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 1077, and decile 9 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Laughtondale's 102 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Galston - Laughtondale, the wider ABS statistical area containing Laughtondale. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Laughtondale itself.
5,182 in 2001 to 5,472 in 2025, up 6%.
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.
Laughtondale 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 Laughtondale 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 →Laughtondale planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Laughtondale?
The schematic on this page is a Laughtondale flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 18% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Laughtondale address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Laughtondale flood-prone?
About 18% of Laughtondale falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 2%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Laughtondale bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 88% of Laughtondale is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Hornsby average of 69%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Laughtondale?
The dominant planning zone in Laughtondale is National Parks and Nature Reserves, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and Natural Waterways. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Laughtondale have heritage-listed places?
Laughtondale 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 Laughtondale?
Across 89 surveyed parcels in Laughtondale, the median lot size is about 60,375 m². There are also 1 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 Laughtondale?
At the 2021 Census Laughtondale had 102 usual residents, with a median age of 50 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Galston - Laughtondale statistical area, which contains Laughtondale, went from 5,182 people in 2001 to 5,472 in 2025, up 6%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Laughtondale alone.
Is Laughtondale an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Laughtondale scores 1077 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 Laughtondale?
Median household income in Laughtondale was $1,724 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,468 for the typical suburb in Hornsby. Median rent was $320 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,058 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Laughtondale property?
A Laughtondale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunderman Central Coast |
4.8 km | <1% | 96% |
| Singletons Mill | 5.5 km | 20% | 89% |
| Wisemans Ferry | 6.2 km | 10% | 84% |
| Maroota The Hills Shire |
6.2 km | 0% | 93% |
| Leets Vale The Hills Shire |
8.3 km | 0% | 96% |
| Canoelands | 9.0 km | 4% | 93% |
| Spencer Central Coast |
9.1 km | 0% | 87% |
| Lower Mangrove Central Coast |
10.3 km | Not mapped | 93% |
| Lower Macdonald Hawkesbury |
10.3 km | 0% | 99% |
| South Maroota The Hills Shire |
10.8 km | 0% | 99% |