Torquay flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Torquay
(Surf Coast, VIC) - 34.48 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
34.48 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Torquay'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
Torquay at a glance
How Torquay is zoned
Selling in Torquay? 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 Torquay address.
Across its 34.48 km², Torquay is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 6% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 90% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 13 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Farming Zone (FZ). The median lot measures about 564 m² across 11,210 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 Torquay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Torquay 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 1091, and decile 10 within Victoria. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Torquay's 18,534 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Torquay, the wider ABS statistical area containing Torquay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Torquay itself.
10,225 in 2001 to 26,581 in 2025, up 160%.
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.
Torquay 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 Torquay address
This page is the suburb; the report is your lot. For any Torquay 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 13 heritage-listed places on record
- Walking distance to the nearest bus stop
- 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 Torquay lot
The planning report tells you what you may build. The geotechnical desktop report tells you what the ground under a Torquay 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 Torquay 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 →Torquay planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Torquay?
The schematic on this page is a Torquay flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 6% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Torquay address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Torquay flood-prone?
About 6% of Torquay 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 Torquay bushfire-prone?
Around 90% of Torquay 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 Torquay?
The dominant planning zone in Torquay is Farming Zone (FZ), though the suburb also includes General Residential Zone (GRZ1) and Low Density Residential Zone (LDRZ). Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Torquay have heritage-listed places?
Torquay has 13 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 Torquay?
Across 11,210 surveyed parcels in Torquay, the median lot size is about 564 m². There are also 5,133 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 Torquay have a train station?
There is no train station inside Torquay itself. The suburb is served by 63 bus stops.
What is the population of Torquay?
At the 2021 Census Torquay had 18,534 usual residents, with a median age of 39 and an average household size of 2.7 people. The wider Torquay statistical area, which contains Torquay, went from 10,225 people in 2001 to 26,581 in 2025, up 160%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Torquay alone.
Is Torquay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Torquay scores 1091 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 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 Torquay?
Median household income in Torquay was $2,295 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,045 for the typical suburb in Surf Coast. Median rent was $500 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Torquay property?
A Torquay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Juc | 4.2 km | 3% | 78% |
| Breamlea Greater Geelong |
5.7 km | 71% | 100% |
| Mount Duneed | 7.0 km | 10% | 91% |
| Freshwater Creek | 7.8 km | 11% | 100% |
| Bellbrae | 8.1 km | 2% | 100% |
| Armstrong Creek Greater Geelong |
9.1 km | 34% | 48% |
| Bells Beach | 9.7 km | 0% | 100% |
| Connewarre Greater Geelong |
11.7 km | 52% | 64% |
| Grovedale Greater Geelong |
12.2 km | 2% | 12% |
| Paraparap | 12.5 km | 9% | 100% |