Fernvale planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Fernvale (Somerset Regional, QLD) - 27.81 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 19 September 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Fernvale's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

Fernvale at a glance

Parcels 1,728 Median lot 1,314 m² Mapped easements 225 Bus stops 2 Schools in suburb 1

Schools in and near Fernvale

Public school-location data shows availability across the suburb. These figures do not rate schools and do not assign a particular address to a catchment.

Inside the suburb boundary

1

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

Nearest school availability

Primary: inside the suburb

Secondary: 4.26 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 Fernvale is zoned

We don't yet hold the planning scheme zoning for Fernvale, so this page can't show its zone mix. That is a gap in our data, not an absence of zoning - every lot in Fernvale sits in a zone under the Somerset Regional planning scheme, and Somerset Regional is the authority to check it with. The other overlays on this page are unaffected.

Across its 27.81 km², Fernvale is highly 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, 55% is flagged bushfire-prone. The median lot measures about 1,314 m² across 1,728 parcels.

Who lives in Fernvale

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

Population
3,629
usual residents, 2021
Median age
35
years
Median household income
$1,771
per week, Somerset Regional suburb typical $1,312
Median rent
$350
per week, Somerset Regional suburb typical $300
Median mortgage
$1,630
per month
Household size
3.0
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 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 946, and decile 4 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Fernvale's 3,629 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 7.1%
5-14 18.7%
15-19 6.4%
20-24 4.0%
25-34 12.7%
35-44 15.0%
45-54 13.4%
55-64 11.0%
65-74 8.4%
75-84 2.8%
85+ 0.6%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

9,538 in 2001 to 15,478 in 2025, up 62%.

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.

Fernvale data sources and coverage

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

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedthe relevant council planning scheme and Queensland Government spatial data
ZoningNot mappedthe 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
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)
School availabilityAvailableQueensland Government

Profile last materially updated 19 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 Fernvale 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.

Published flood models are held here: a Flood Model Report is available for about 140 Fernvale addresses (+$9 with the planning report).

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a Fernvale lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

Fernvale planning - frequently asked

Is Fernvale flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering Fernvale, 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. Somerset Regional is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is Fernvale bushfire-prone?

Around 55% of Fernvale is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Somerset Regional average of 54%.

What is the zoning in Fernvale?

We don't yet hold the planning scheme zoning for Fernvale, so this page can't say how it is zoned - that is a gap in our data, not an absence of zoning. Somerset Regional publishes the zone maps for this area.

Does Fernvale have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Fernvale.

What is the typical lot size in Fernvale?

Across 1,728 surveyed parcels in Fernvale, the median lot size is about 1,314 m². There are also 225 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does Fernvale have a train station?

There is no train station inside Fernvale itself. The suburb is served by 2 bus stops.

What is the population of Fernvale?

At the 2021 Census Fernvale had 3,629 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Lowood statistical area, which contains Fernvale, went from 9,538 people in 2001 to 15,478 in 2025, up 62%.

Is Fernvale an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Fernvale scores 946 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 4 within Queensland (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in Fernvale?

Median household income in Fernvale was $1,771 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,312 for the typical suburb in Somerset Regional. Median rent was $350 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,630 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Fairney View 3.2 km Not mapped 37%
Vernor 4.2 km Not mapped 47%
Wivenhoe Pocket 4.7 km Not mapped 43%
Lake Manchester 5.6 km 5% 86%
Borallon 6.3 km <1% 58%
Wanora 6.8 km 0% 80%
England Creek 7.1 km 6% 92%
Banks Creek 7.1 km 2% 92%
Glamorgan Vale 7.3 km 0% 42%
Split Yard Creek 8.5 km 1% 92%

See all Somerset Regional suburb profiles →