Mount Coolum flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Mount Coolum (Sunshine Coast Regional, QLD) - 5.11 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Mount Coolum'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.

Mount Coolum 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 2,361 Mount Coolum properties.

Mount Coolum at a glance

Parcels 2,322 Median lot 511 m² Mapped easements 644 Bus stops 8 Landslide overlay 12%

How Mount Coolum is zoned

Environmental Management and Conservation 42%
Low Density Residential 20%
Rural 16%
Sport and Recreation 10%
Low-Medium Density Residential 5%
Open Space 5%

Selling in Mount Coolum? 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 5.11 km², Mount Coolum is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 52% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 58% is flagged bushfire-prone. There is 1 heritage-listed site on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Environmental Management and Conservation. The terrain is gently undulating, and the median lot measures about 511 m² across 2,322 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 Mount Coolum

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

Population
4,545
usual residents, 2021
Median age
44
years
Median household income
$1,690
per week, Sunshine Coast Regional suburb typical $1,674
Median rent
$450
per week, Sunshine Coast Regional suburb typical $408
Median mortgage
$1,863
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 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1011, and decile 8 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 7
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Mount Coolum's 4,545 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 5.2%
5-14 11.6%
15-19 5.6%
20-24 4.1%
25-34 10.4%
35-44 14.3%
45-54 16.5%
55-64 14.2%
65-74 10.7%
75-84 5.5%
85+ 1.9%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

10,780 in 2001 to 17,064 in 2025, up 58%.

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 Mount Coolum 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 →

Mount Coolum planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Mount Coolum?

The schematic on this page is a Mount Coolum flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 52% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Mount Coolum address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Mount Coolum flood-prone?

About 52% of Mount Coolum falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Sunshine Coast Regional average of 32%. Looking lot by lot, 36% of the 2,361 properties we analysed in Mount Coolum carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 115 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 Mount Coolum bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 58% of Mount Coolum is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Sunshine Coast Regional average of 38%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Mount Coolum?

The dominant planning zone in Mount Coolum is Environmental Management and Conservation, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Rural. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Mount Coolum have heritage-listed places?

Mount Coolum has 1 heritage-listed place 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 Mount Coolum hilly or flat?

Mount Coolum is gently undulating: the median lot slope is about 5%, and 13% of properties sit on slopes of 15% or steeper. Ground level runs from roughly 3 m to 47 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 Mount Coolum?

Across 2,322 surveyed parcels in Mount Coolum, the median lot size is about 511 m². There are also 644 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 Mount Coolum have a train station?

There is no train station inside Mount Coolum itself. The suburb is served by 8 bus stops.

What is the population of Mount Coolum?

At the 2021 Census Mount Coolum had 4,545 usual residents, with a median age of 44 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider Coolum Beach statistical area, which contains Mount Coolum, went from 10,780 people in 2001 to 17,064 in 2025, up 58%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Mount Coolum alone.

Is Mount Coolum an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Mount Coolum scores 1011 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 8 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 Mount Coolum?

Median household income in Mount Coolum was $1,690 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,674 for the typical suburb in Sunshine Coast Regional. Median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,863 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Mount Coolum property?

A Mount Coolum 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 Sunshine Coast Regional

See all Sunshine Coast Regional suburb profiles →