Whale Beach zoning & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Whale Beach (Northern Beaches, NSW) - 0.57 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
0.57 km² - this suburb is moderately constrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Whale Beach's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.
Whale Beach at a glance
How Whale Beach is zoned
Buying in Whale Beach? 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 0.57 km², Whale Beach is moderately constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 21% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 7 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Living. The median lot measures about 863 m² across 355 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 Whale Beach
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Whale Beach 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 1155, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Whale Beach's 315 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Avalon - Palm Beach, the wider ABS statistical area containing Whale Beach. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Whale Beach itself.
13,047 in 2001 to 13,161 in 2025, up 1%.
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.
Whale Beach 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 | Not 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 Whale Beach 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 →Whale Beach planning - frequently asked
Is Whale Beach flood-prone?
We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Whale Beach, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Northern Beaches is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Whale Beach bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 21% of Whale Beach is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Northern Beaches average of 47%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Whale Beach?
The dominant planning zone in Whale Beach is Environmental Living, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Environmental Conservation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Whale Beach have heritage-listed places?
Whale Beach has 7 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 Whale Beach?
Across 355 surveyed parcels in Whale Beach, the median lot size is about 863 m².
Does Whale Beach have a train station?
There is no train station inside Whale Beach itself. The suburb is served by 14 bus stops.
What is the population of Whale Beach?
At the 2021 Census Whale Beach had 315 usual residents, with a median age of 60 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Avalon - Palm Beach statistical area, which contains Whale Beach, went from 13,047 people in 2001 to 13,161 in 2025, up 1%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Whale Beach alone.
Is Whale Beach an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Whale Beach scores 1155 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 Whale Beach?
Median household income in Whale Beach was $3,285 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,778 for the typical suburb in Northern Beaches. Median rent was $950 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,467 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Whale Beach property?
A Whale Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach | 1.7 km | Not mapped | 48% |
| Avalon Beach | 1.8 km | Not mapped | 23% |
| Coasters Retreat | 3.0 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Pittwater | 3.1 km | Not mapped | 12% |
| Clareville | 3.2 km | Not mapped | 5% |
| Currawong Beach | 3.6 km | Not mapped | 100% |
| Bilgola Beach | 3.6 km | Not mapped | 65% |
| Great Mackerel Beach | 3.8 km | Not mapped | 99% |
| Bilgola Plateau | 4.0 km | Not mapped | 21% |
| Morning Bay | 4.8 km | Not mapped | 100% |