Planning Maps / Areas / Gold Coast City / Broadbeach Waters

Broadbeach Waters flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Broadbeach Waters (Gold Coast City, QLD) - 5.33 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Broadbeach Waters'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.

Broadbeach Waters flood risk at the property level

Overlay percentages say how much land is constrained; these figures say how many properties are actually touched, from our lot-by-lot analysis of 4,051 Broadbeach Waters properties.

Broadbeach Waters at a glance

Parcels 3,640 Median lot 656 m² Mapped easements 187 Bus stops 34 Landslide overlay <1%

How Broadbeach Waters is zoned

Low density residential 74%
Open space 13%
Centre 6%
Medium density residential 5%
Unzoned 2%
Community facilities 0%

Selling in Broadbeach Waters? The lot-level zone is the zoning Part 3 of Queensland's Form 2 seller disclosure statement asks for - see our Form 2 planning data guide.

Across its 5.33 km², Broadbeach Waters is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 100% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 10% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low density residential. The terrain is gently undulating, and the median lot measures about 656 m² across 3,640 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 Broadbeach Waters

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Broadbeach Waters suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
8,164
usual residents, 2021
Median age
43
years
Median household income
$2,072
per week, Gold Coast City suburb typical $1,830
Median rent
$600
per week, Gold Coast City suburb typical $450
Median mortgage
$2,600
per month
Household size
2.6
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1076, and decile 10 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Broadbeach Waters's 8,164 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.1%
5-14 11.1%
15-19 5.9%
20-24 6.1%
25-34 12.1%
35-44 12.7%
45-54 15.4%
55-64 13.2%
65-74 11.0%
75-84 5.9%
85+ 2.5%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Broadbeach Waters, the wider ABS statistical area containing Broadbeach Waters. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Broadbeach Waters itself.

7,756 in 2001 to 9,109 in 2025, up 17%.

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.

Check a specific Broadbeach Waters 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 →

Broadbeach Waters planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Broadbeach Waters?

The schematic on this page is a Broadbeach Waters flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 100% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Broadbeach Waters address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Broadbeach Waters flood-prone?

About 100% of Broadbeach Waters falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Gold Coast City average of 49%. Looking lot by lot, 82% of the 4,051 properties we analysed in Broadbeach Waters carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 2463 rated high risk or historically affected. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Broadbeach Waters bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 10% of Broadbeach Waters is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Gold Coast City average of 48%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Broadbeach Waters?

The dominant planning zone in Broadbeach Waters is Low density residential, though the suburb also includes Open space and Centre. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Broadbeach Waters have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Broadbeach Waters. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.

Is Broadbeach Waters hilly or flat?

Broadbeach Waters is gently undulating: the median lot slope is about 6%. Ground level runs from roughly 3 m to 5 m AHD across the suburb. Slope drives site costs - cut and fill, retaining walls and driveway grades - so it is worth knowing before you commit to a sloping block.

What is the typical lot size in Broadbeach Waters?

Across 3,640 surveyed parcels in Broadbeach Waters, the median lot size is about 656 m². There are also 187 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 Broadbeach Waters have a train station?

There is no train station inside Broadbeach Waters itself. The suburb is served by 34 bus stops.

What is the population of Broadbeach Waters?

At the 2021 Census Broadbeach Waters had 8,164 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 2.6 people. The wider Broadbeach Waters statistical area, which contains Broadbeach Waters, went from 7,756 people in 2001 to 9,109 in 2025, up 17%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Broadbeach Waters alone.

Is Broadbeach Waters an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Broadbeach Waters scores 1076 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within Queensland - 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 Broadbeach Waters?

Median household income in Broadbeach Waters was $2,072 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,830 for the typical suburb in Gold Coast City. Median rent was $600 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,600 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Broadbeach Waters property?

A Broadbeach Waters 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.

Other suburbs in Gold Coast City

See all Gold Coast City suburb profiles →