Planning Maps / Areas / Redland City / Russell Island

Russell Island flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Russell Island (Redland City, QLD) - 30.23 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Russell Island'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.

Russell Island 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 11,278 Russell Island properties.

Russell Island at a glance

Parcels 11,359 Median lot 579 m² Mapped easements 88 Ferry terminal 1 Landslide overlay 6%

How Russell Island is zoned

Conservation 52%
Character Residential 36%
Rural 4%
Environmental Management 4%
Recreation and Open Space 1%
Local Centre 1%

Selling in Russell Island? 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 30.23 km², Russell Island is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 29% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 39% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 5 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Conservation. The terrain is gently undulating, and the median lot measures about 579 m² across 11,359 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 Russell Island

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

Population
3,698
usual residents, 2021
Median age
59
years
Median household income
$756
per week, Redland City suburb typical $1,488
Median rent
$260
per week, Redland City suburb typical $385
Median mortgage
$867
per month
Household size
1.9
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 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 797, and decile 1 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 1
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Russell Island's 3,698 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 2.5%
5-14 7.1%
15-19 3.5%
20-24 2.5%
25-34 4.5%
35-44 7.5%
45-54 14.1%
55-64 22.6%
65-74 23.4%
75-84 10.9%
85+ 1.3%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Southern Moreton Bay Islands, the wider ABS statistical area containing Russell Island. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Russell Island itself.

3,857 in 2001 to 10,466 in 2025, up 171%.

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 Russell Island 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 →

Russell Island planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Russell Island?

The schematic on this page is a Russell Island flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 29% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Russell Island address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Russell Island flood-prone?

About 29% of Russell Island falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Redland City average of 22%. Looking lot by lot, 37% of the 11,278 properties we analysed in Russell Island carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 1364 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 Russell Island bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 39% of Russell Island is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Redland City average of 41%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Russell Island?

The dominant planning zone in Russell Island is Conservation, though the suburb also includes Character Residential and Rural. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Russell Island have heritage-listed places?

Russell Island has 5 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 Russell Island hilly or flat?

Russell Island is gently undulating: the median lot slope is about 4%. Ground level runs from roughly 0 m to 34 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 Russell Island?

Across 11,359 surveyed parcels in Russell Island, the median lot size is about 579 m². There are also 88 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 Russell Island have a train station?

There is no train station inside Russell Island itself. The suburb is served by 1 ferry terminal.

What is the population of Russell Island?

At the 2021 Census Russell Island had 3,698 usual residents, with a median age of 59 and an average household size of 1.9 people. The wider Southern Moreton Bay Islands statistical area, which contains Russell Island, went from 3,857 people in 2001 to 10,466 in 2025, up 171%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Russell Island alone.

Is Russell Island an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Russell Island scores 797 and sits in decile 1 of 10 nationally and decile 1 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 Russell Island?

Median household income in Russell Island was $756 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,488 for the typical suburb in Redland City. Median rent was $260 a week and the median mortgage repayment $867 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Russell Island property?

A Russell Island 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 Redland City

See all Redland City suburb profiles →