Retreat flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Retreat
(Tamworth Regional, NSW) - 135.53 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 26 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
135.53 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Retreat's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Retreat at a glance
How Retreat is zoned
Buying in Retreat? 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 135.53 km², Retreat is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Primary Production. The median lot measures about 506,121 m² across 110 parcels.
Who lives in Retreat
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Retreat 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 953, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Tamworth Surrounds, the wider ABS statistical area containing Retreat. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Retreat itself.
16,382 in 2001 to 20,158 in 2025, up 23%.
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.
Retreat data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| 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 |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Watched, not yet sampled here | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 26 September 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 Retreat 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.
Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Retreat lot.
See what's in the $9 report →Retreat planning - frequently asked
Is Retreat flood-prone?
Flood mapping covers Retreat and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 3%).
Is Retreat bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Retreat is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Tamworth Regional average of 92%.
What is the zoning in Retreat?
The dominant planning zone in Retreat is Primary Production, though the suburb also includes Rural Landscape.
Does Retreat have heritage-listed places?
Retreat has 3 heritage-listed places on record.
What is the typical lot size in Retreat?
Across 110 surveyed parcels in Retreat, the median lot size is about 506,121 m².
Is Retreat an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Retreat scores 953 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watsons Creek | 11.2 km | 0% | 100% |
| Kingstown Uralla |
14.0 km | 0% | 49% |
| Warrabah | 17.7 km | 0% | 100% |
| Balala Uralla |
19.1 km | 0% | 63% |
| Torryburn Uralla |
21.8 km | Not mapped | 46% |
| Bendemeer | 22.8 km | <1% | 100% |
| Halls Creek | 24.8 km | 0% | 100% |
| Namoi River | 25.0 km | 0% | 100% |
| Camerons Creek Uralla |
30.4 km | Not mapped | 42% |
| Yarrowyck Uralla |
32.2 km | Not mapped | 69% |