Freshwater Creek flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Freshwater Creek
(Surf Coast, VIC) - 53.63 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 6 September 2026.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
53.63 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Freshwater Creek'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.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Freshwater Creek at a glance
How Freshwater Creek is zoned
Selling in Freshwater Creek? The zoning and planning overlays on this page are the controls a Section 32 vendor statement discloses - a $9 planning report pulls them at the lot level for any Freshwater Creek address.
Across its 53.63 km², Freshwater Creek is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 11% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 3 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Farming Zone (FZ). The median lot measures about 80,669 m² across 291 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 Freshwater Creek
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Freshwater Creek 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 1058, and decile 9 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Freshwater Creek's 454 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Winchelsea, the wider ABS statistical area containing Freshwater Creek. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Freshwater Creek itself.
5,418 in 2001 to 7,079 in 2025, up 31%.
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.
Freshwater Creek data sources and coverage
Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Zoning | Mapped | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | Vicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services, Defence |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 6 September 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
What a $9 report adds for a Freshwater Creek address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Freshwater Creek address it resolves, on the lot boundary:
- The zone and every planning overlay that touches the lot, in the scheme's own labels
- Which flood overlay categories reach the lot
- Whether the lot is in bushfire-prone mapping, and what that triggers for a build
- Whether the lot, or a neighbour, is one of the 3 heritage-listed places on record
- A coverage disclosure: exactly which layers were, and were not, assessed
The interactive map is free - check an address below.
Geotechnical desktop report for a Freshwater Creek lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Freshwater Creek address is likely to do - before you pay for a site investigation.
- Mapped geology and soil landscape on the lot
- Indicative AS 2870 site class, with the evidence behind it
- Nearby bore logs and groundwater records
- Acid sulfate soil and reactive clay screening
- Contours, slope and site elevation
- What the desktop evidence cannot tell you, stated plainly
Check a specific Freshwater Creek 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 →Freshwater Creek planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Freshwater Creek?
The schematic on this page is a Freshwater Creek flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 11% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Freshwater Creek address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Freshwater Creek flood-prone?
About 11% of Freshwater Creek falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 6%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Freshwater Creek bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Freshwater Creek is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Surf Coast average of 99%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Freshwater Creek?
The dominant planning zone in Freshwater Creek is Farming Zone (FZ), though the suburb also includes Transport Zone (TRZ2) and Public Park and Recreation Zone (PPRZ). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Freshwater Creek have heritage-listed places?
Freshwater Creek has 3 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.
What is the typical lot size in Freshwater Creek?
Across 291 surveyed parcels in Freshwater Creek, the median lot size is about 80,669 m². There are also 100 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 Freshwater Creek?
At the 2021 Census Freshwater Creek had 454 usual residents, with a median age of 45 and an average household size of 2.9 people. The wider Winchelsea statistical area, which contains Freshwater Creek, went from 5,418 people in 2001 to 7,079 in 2025, up 31%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Freshwater Creek alone.
Is Freshwater Creek an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Freshwater Creek scores 1058 and sits in decile 9 of 10 nationally and decile 9 within Victoria - 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 Freshwater Creek?
Median household income in Freshwater Creek was $2,087 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,045 for the typical suburb in Surf Coast. Median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,145 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Freshwater Creek property?
A Freshwater Creek planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage, environmental and noise - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; the full PDF report is $9.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Duneed | 6.4 km | 10% | 91% |
| Paraparap | 7.0 km | 9% | 100% |
| Moriac | 7.6 km | 14% | 100% |
| Waurn Ponds Greater Geelong |
7.6 km | 3% | 72% |
| Torquay | 7.8 km | 6% | 90% |
| Bellbrae | 8.2 km | 2% | 100% |
| Mount Moriac | 8.8 km | 3% | 100% |
| Jan Juc | 9.2 km | 3% | 78% |
| Grovedale Greater Geelong |
10.1 km | 2% | 12% |
| Armstrong Creek Greater Geelong |
10.2 km | 34% | 48% |