Herston flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Herston (Brisbane City, QLD) - 1.64 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Herston'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.

Herston 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 1,323 Herston properties.

Herston at a glance

Parcels 1,078 Median lot 404 m² Mapped easements 177 Bus stops 26

How Herston is zoned

Sport and recreation (Metropolitan) 44%
Character residential (Infill housing) 13%
Major health care 12%
Low-medium density residential (2 or 3 storey mix) 12%
Sport and recreation (District) 6%
Priority Development Area - Part 10 of Brisbane City Plan 2014 4%

Selling in Herston? 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 1.64 km², Herston is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 37% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 15 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Sport and recreation (Metropolitan). The terrain is hilly, and the median lot measures about 404 m² across 1,078 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 Herston

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

Population
2,311
usual residents, 2021
Median age
31
years
Median household income
$2,086
per week, Brisbane City suburb typical $2,122
Median rent
$400
per week, Brisbane City suburb typical $410
Median mortgage
$2,300
per month
Household size
2.4
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 1085, and decile 10 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Herston's 2,311 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.5%
5-14 8.8%
15-19 5.5%
20-24 14.6%
25-34 24.5%
35-44 14.8%
45-54 12.5%
55-64 7.5%
65-74 4.3%
75-84 2.1%
85+ 0.9%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

5,883 in 2001 to 12,531 in 2025, up 113%.

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 Herston 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 →

Herston planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Herston?

The schematic on this page is a Herston flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 37% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Herston address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Herston flood-prone?

About 37% of Herston falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Brisbane City average of 40%. Looking lot by lot, 29% of the 1,323 properties we analysed in Herston carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 239 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 Herston bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Herston and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Brisbane City average is 27%). Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.

What is the zoning in Herston?

The dominant planning zone in Herston is Sport and recreation (Metropolitan), though the suburb also includes Character residential (Infill housing) and Major health care. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Herston have heritage-listed places?

Herston has 15 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.

Is Herston hilly or flat?

Herston is hilly: the median lot slope is about 13%, and 36% of properties sit on slopes of 15% or steeper. Ground level runs from roughly 2 m to 38 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 Herston?

Across 1,078 surveyed parcels in Herston, the median lot size is about 404 m². There are also 177 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 Herston have a train station?

There is no train station inside Herston itself. The suburb is served by 26 bus stops.

What is the population of Herston?

At the 2021 Census Herston had 2,311 usual residents, with a median age of 31 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Kelvin Grove - Herston statistical area, which contains Herston, went from 5,883 people in 2001 to 12,531 in 2025, up 113%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Herston alone.

Is Herston an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Herston scores 1085 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 Herston?

Median household income in Herston was $2,086 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,122 for the typical suburb in Brisbane City. Median rent was $400 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,300 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Herston property?

A Herston 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.

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