Property Report / Areas / Surf Coast / Gnarwarre

Gnarwarre flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Gnarwarre (Surf Coast, VIC) - 68.36 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 6 September 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Gnarwarre'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

Gnarwarre at a glance

Parcels 179 Median lot 183,040 m² Mapped easements 197

How Gnarwarre is zoned

Farming Zone (FZ) 100%

Selling in Gnarwarre? 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 Gnarwarre address.

Across its 68.36 km², Gnarwarre is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 3% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 2 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Farming Zone (FZ). The median lot measures about 183,040 m² across 179 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 Gnarwarre

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

Population
297
usual residents, 2021
Median age
43
years
Median household income
$2,187
per week, Surf Coast suburb typical $2,045
Median rent
$390
per week, Surf Coast suburb typical $355
Median mortgage
$2,500
per month
Household size
3.0
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 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1052, and decile 9 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 9
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Gnarwarre's 297 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.5%
5-14 15.9%
15-19 7.2%
20-24 4.8%
25-34 4.8%
35-44 13.4%
45-54 16.6%
55-64 12.8%
65-74 15.9%
75-84 2.4%
85+ 1.7%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

Gnarwarre 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.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedVicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedVicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services
ZoningMappedVicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedVicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldVicmap Planning and Victorian Government spatial services, Defence
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Gnarwarre address

This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Gnarwarre 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 2 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.

Building, renovating or pricing a slab?

Geotechnical desktop report for a Gnarwarre lot

The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Gnarwarre 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
$119per address, PDF in minutes Get a geotech report → See a sample report

Check a specific Gnarwarre 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 →

Gnarwarre planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Gnarwarre?

The schematic on this page is a Gnarwarre flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 3% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Gnarwarre address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Gnarwarre flood-prone?

About 3% of Gnarwarre 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 Gnarwarre bushfire-prone?

Around 100% of Gnarwarre 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 Gnarwarre?

The dominant planning zone in Gnarwarre is Farming Zone (FZ). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Gnarwarre have heritage-listed places?

Gnarwarre has 2 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 Gnarwarre?

Across 179 surveyed parcels in Gnarwarre, the median lot size is about 183,040 m². There are also 197 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 Gnarwarre?

At the 2021 Census Gnarwarre had 297 usual residents, with a median age of 43 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Winchelsea statistical area, which contains Gnarwarre, 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 Gnarwarre alone.

Is Gnarwarre an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Gnarwarre scores 1052 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 Gnarwarre?

Median household income in Gnarwarre was $2,187 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,045 for the typical suburb in Surf Coast. Median rent was $390 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,500 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Gnarwarre property?

A Gnarwarre 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 suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Murgheboluc
Golden Plains
6.0 km 12% 100%
Barrabool 7.2 km 7% 100%
Mount Moriac 7.4 km 3% 100%
Stonehaven
Golden Plains
7.8 km 4% 100%
Buckley 8.6 km 11% 100%
Moriac 10.4 km 14% 100%
Ceres
Greater Geelong
11.2 km 11% 100%
Gheringhap
Golden Plains
11.4 km 10% 100%
Bannockburn
Golden Plains
11.7 km 3% 98%
Modewarre 12.8 km 21% 100%

See all Surf Coast suburb profiles →