Areas / Brisbane City / Chuwar

Chuwar flood map & planning overlays

A 17.8% median lot slope, 4th-steepest in Brisbane City, on 5 ha median lots. Steep, spacious, bushy.

A planning-constraint profile of Chuwar (Brisbane City, QLD) - 9.03 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 7 November 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Chuwar's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

How common is mapped flood risk across Chuwar properties?

Counts of properties, not share of land, across 88 analysed Chuwar properties; no individual property result is identified.

Has Chuwar flooded? Flood history and overland flow

Yes. Recorded flood mapping reaches into Chuwar: 42 of the 88 properties we analysed (47.7%) sit at least partly inside a mapped historical flood extent (January 2011: 41, February 2022: 29, Historic Flood 1974: 7). The free address check says whether a given lot is inside one.

Suburb-wide totals across 88 analysed properties; they do not identify or describe any individual property.

Recorded historical flood mapping

47.7%

42 analysed properties intersect at least one mapped historical event extent.

  • January 2011: 41
  • February 2022: 29
  • Historic Flood 1974: 7

Mapped overland flow

63.6%

56 analysed properties carry a mapped overland-flow category.

  • High: 49

Source: Brisbane City Council flood mapping, aggregated by LayeredGeo. Categories are only shown where at least five analysed properties share them. An address-level check is still required to determine whether a particular lot is mapped.

Aircraft noise and flight paths over Chuwar

The ANEF contour is a published planning forecast and observed overflight is what a sampled tracking feed recorded - neither describes any individual property.

Observed overflight - sampled 4 Sep to 7 Nov 2026

Under observed aircraft
88%
of the suburb, at or below 10,000 ft
Below 3,000 ft
60%
of the suburb's area
Lowest measured
500 ft
averaging 3,500 ft
Busiest square
~1 a day
1 a day below 3,000 ft · ±20% · area average
typical observed square 0 a day

Night movements: observed, lowest 3,000 ft - night is sampled as often as day, but night traffic is light, so this is a floor and no rate can be put on it.

How this is measured

Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously, so every figure is a floor: aircraft not captured between samples are not represented. Rates are per 500 m square - the busiest square in the suburb, not a count of flights over the suburb - and a square is only rated where enough traffic was seen to measure it. Altitudes are above mean sea level. Flight paths change with runway use, weather, season and airspace design. This is a record of observed traffic; it is not a noise contour and not a planning control.

Chuwar at a glance

Parcels 90 Median lot 45,214 m² Mapped easements 59 Schools in suburb 0 Landslide overlay <1%

Schools in and near Chuwar

Public school-location data shows availability across the suburb; it does not rate schools or assign any individual address to a catchment.

Inside the suburb boundary

0

0 schools providing primary years and 0 providing secondary years. A combined school may be counted in both teaching levels.

Nearest school availability

Primary: 1.25 km from the suburb boundary

Secondary: 2.61 km from the suburb boundary

Source: Queensland Government school geographic information. Catchment boundaries can divide a suburb and change over time; use the official catchment finder for a specific address.

How Chuwar is zoned

Special purpose (Utility services) 96%
Sport and recreation (District) 2%
Rural residential 2%
Rural 1%

Selling in Chuwar? 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 9.03 km², Chuwar is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 39% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 89% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Special purpose (Utility services). The terrain is hilly, and the median lot measures about 45,214 m² across 90 parcels.

Recent development applications in Chuwar

Applications are counted across the whole gazetted suburb from the public Brisbane City Council register. No application address or individual property is published here.

Submitted in the past 12 months

0

No geocoded application submissions were found for this suburb in the period.

Counts depend on applications that the council publishes and that can be assigned to a suburb. Categories can overlap when one application covers several types. Totals below five and their latest dates are suppressed. Register last synchronised 8 November 2026. Check the official council register.

Who lives in Chuwar

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

Population
2,178
usual residents, 2021
Median age
37
years
Median household income
$2,247
per week, Brisbane City suburb typical $2,122
Median rent
$350
per week, Brisbane City suburb typical $410
Median mortgage
$1,863
per month
Household size
2.9
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 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1024, and decile 9 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Chuwar's 2,178 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.7%
5-14 13.5%
15-19 8.0%
20-24 5.7%
25-34 12.8%
35-44 12.3%
45-54 14.0%
55-64 15.9%
65-74 7.7%
75-84 2.9%
85+ 0.6%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

3,290 in 2001 to 4,680 in 2025, up 42%.

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.

Chuwar property market snapshot

Queensland Government publishes this as a SA2 market series for Ipswich - North, the wider statistical area containing Chuwar. It is not a valuation and is not specific to this suburb or any individual property.

House sales

$1,111,500

Median sale price from 60 sales over 12 months to March 2026.

Source: Queensland Government Statistician's Office (QGSO). View the source profile. The same SA2 figure can appear on several suburb pages within that statistical area.

Chuwar data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data
ZoningMappedthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)
School availabilityAvailableQueensland Government
Market statisticsAvailable at SA2 levelQueensland Government Statistician's Office (QGSO)
Development applicationsAvailable as suburb totalsBrisbane City Council

Profile last materially updated 7 November 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 Chuwar 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 →

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 60% of Chuwar. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Published flood models are held here: a Flood Model Report is available for about 90 Chuwar addresses (+$9 with the planning report).

The Terrain Report shows the fall of the block - contours, cross sections and a 3D model of the lot to spin round in your browser (+$9 with the planning report).

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and the indicative soil reactivity range to expect for a Chuwar lot.

Chuwar planning - frequently asked

Is Chuwar flood-prone?

About 39% of Chuwar falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 31%. Across the suburb, 65% of the 88 properties we analysed carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 29 rated high risk or historically affected. Modelled flood depth, velocity and flood level are held for about 90 Chuwar addresses, from published flood studies; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether a model reaches a given address.

Has Chuwar flooded?

Yes. Recorded flood mapping reaches into Chuwar: 42 of the 88 properties we analysed (47.7%) sit at least partly inside a mapped historical flood extent (January 2011: 41, February 2022: 29, Historic Flood 1974: 7). The free address check says whether a given lot is inside one.

Is Chuwar bushfire-prone?

Around 89% of Chuwar is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Brisbane City average of 27%.

Is Chuwar under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 60% of Chuwar, and over about 88% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 7 Nov 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 3,500 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.

What is the zoning in Chuwar?

The dominant planning zone in Chuwar is Special purpose (Utility services), though the suburb also includes Sport and recreation (District) and Rural residential.

Does Chuwar have heritage-listed places?

Chuwar has 3 heritage-listed places on record.

Is Chuwar hilly or flat?

Chuwar is hilly: the median ground slope is about 18%, and 73% of measured points sit on grades of 15% or steeper. Ground level runs from roughly 22 m to 78 m AHD across the suburb.

What is the typical lot size in Chuwar?

Across 90 surveyed parcels in Chuwar, the median lot size is about 45,214 m². There are also 59 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

What is the population of Chuwar?

At the 2021 Census Chuwar had 2,178 usual residents, with a median age of 37 and an average household size of 2.9 people. The wider Ipswich - North statistical area, which contains Chuwar, went from 3,290 people in 2001 to 4,680 in 2025, up 42%.

Is Chuwar an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Chuwar scores 1024 and sits in decile 8 of 10 nationally and decile 9 within Queensland (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Chuwar?

Median household income in Chuwar was $2,247 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,122 for the typical suburb in Brisbane City. Median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,863 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Chuwar
Ipswich City
1.7 km 32% 77%
Mount Crosby 2.4 km 24% 92%
Kholo 3.0 km 22% 80%
North Tivoli
Ipswich City
3.7 km 94% 85%
Tivoli
Ipswich City
4.1 km 72% 76%
Muirlea
Ipswich City
4.5 km 36% 97%
Karana Downs 4.8 km 36% 69%
Karalee
Ipswich City
5.1 km 83% 52%
North Ipswich
Ipswich City
5.2 km 60% 20%
North Booval
Ipswich City
5.5 km 100% 25%

See all Brisbane City suburb profiles →