Lower Macdonald flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Lower Macdonald (Hawkesbury, NSW) - 10.56 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
10.56 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Lower 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.
Lower Macdonald at a glance
How Lower Macdonald is zoned
Buying in Lower 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 10.56 km², Lower Macdonald is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 99% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 15 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Living. The median lot measures about 775 m² across 272 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 Lower Macdonald
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Lower Macdonald 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 930, and decile 2 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Lower Macdonald's 244 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Bilpin - Colo - St Albans, the wider ABS statistical area containing Lower Macdonald. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Lower 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.
Lower 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.
| 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 Lower 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 →Lower Macdonald planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Lower Macdonald?
The schematic on this page is a Lower 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 Lower Macdonald address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Lower Macdonald flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Lower 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 Lower Macdonald bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 99% of Lower 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 Lower Macdonald?
The dominant planning zone in Lower Macdonald is Environmental Living, though the suburb also includes National Parks and Nature Reserves and Village. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Lower Macdonald have heritage-listed places?
Lower Macdonald has 15 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 Lower Macdonald?
Across 272 surveyed parcels in Lower Macdonald, the median lot size is about 775 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.
Does Lower Macdonald have a train station?
There is no train station inside Lower Macdonald itself. The suburb is served by 14 bus stops.
What is the population of Lower Macdonald?
At the 2021 Census Lower Macdonald had 244 usual residents, with a median age of 53 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider Bilpin - Colo - St Albans statistical area, which contains Lower Macdonald, went from 2,518 people in 2001 to 2,781 in 2025, up 10%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Lower Macdonald alone.
Is Lower Macdonald an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Lower Macdonald scores 930 and sits in decile 3 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 Lower Macdonald?
Median household income in Lower Macdonald was $1,278 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,160 for the typical suburb in Hawkesbury. Median rent was $310 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,907 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Lower Macdonald property?
A Lower 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 suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Macdonald | 2.6 km | 0% | 100% |
| Wisemans Ferry Hornsby |
4.3 km | 10% | 84% |
| Webbs Creek | 6.3 km | 0% | 100% |
| Leets Vale The Hills Shire |
7.6 km | 0% | 96% |
| Gunderman Central Coast |
9.0 km | <1% | 96% |
| Laughtondale Hornsby |
10.3 km | 18% | 88% |
| Wrights Creek | 10.7 km | 0% | 100% |
| Maroota The Hills Shire |
11.1 km | 0% | 93% |
| Lower Portland The Hills Shire |
11.5 km | 0% | 97% |
| Ten Mile Hollow | 11.7 km | 0% | 100% |