Karana Downs flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Karana Downs (Brisbane City, QLD) - 7.52 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
7.52 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Karana Downs'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.
Karana Downs 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 1,724 Karana Downs properties.
Lot-level readout
Flood-risk rating across all 1,724 properties
From LayeredGeo's lot-risk engine: council flood overlays, historical flooding and terrain, resolved to each individual lot in Karana Downs.
Karana Downs at a glance
How Karana Downs is zoned
Selling in Karana Downs? 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 7.52 km², Karana Downs is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 53% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 69% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 4 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Rural residential. The terrain is hilly, and the median lot measures about 1,898 m² across 1,534 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 Karana Downs
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Karana Downs 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 1054, and decile 10 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Karana Downs's 3,800 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Karana Downs, the wider ABS statistical area containing Karana Downs. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Karana Downs itself.
5,096 in 2001 to 6,261 in 2025, up 23%.
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 Karana Downs 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 →Karana Downs planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Karana Downs?
The schematic on this page is a Karana Downs flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 53% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Karana Downs address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Karana Downs flood-prone?
About 53% of Karana Downs falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Brisbane City average of 40%. Looking lot by lot, 55% of the 1,724 properties we analysed in Karana Downs carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 146 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 Karana Downs bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 69% of Karana Downs is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Brisbane City average of 27%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Karana Downs?
The dominant planning zone in Karana Downs is Rural residential, though the suburb also includes Low density residential and Sport and recreation (District). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Karana Downs have heritage-listed places?
Karana Downs has 4 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 Karana Downs hilly or flat?
Karana Downs is hilly: the median lot slope is about 12%, and 38% of properties sit on slopes of 15% or steeper. Ground level runs from roughly 15 m to 81 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 Karana Downs?
Across 1,534 surveyed parcels in Karana Downs, the median lot size is about 1,898 m². There are also 254 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.
What is the population of Karana Downs?
At the 2021 Census Karana Downs had 3,800 usual residents, with a median age of 41 and an average household size of 2.8 people. The wider Karana Downs statistical area, which contains Karana Downs, went from 5,096 people in 2001 to 6,261 in 2025, up 23%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Karana Downs alone.
Is Karana Downs an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Karana Downs scores 1054 and sits in decile 9 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 Karana Downs?
Median household income in Karana Downs was $2,255 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 $1,800 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Karana Downs property?
A Karana Downs 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.