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Freshwater flood & bushfire report

Of Freshwater’s 5,421 mapped properties, 0% are in a mapped flood area and 0% are in a bushfire hazard area.

For context, Freshwater’s flood exposure is below the NSW average of 5%, and bushfire exposure is below the NSW average of 16.4%.

0%
In a flood area
0%
In a bushfire area
5,421
Mapped properties

Crime near Freshwater

Freshwater sits in the Northern Beaches council area, which recorded 7,760 reported offences in the 12 months to Mar 2026.

Showing all crime — tap an offence type below to plot it over time.
01,0002,0002001200520092013201720212025

Every reported offence by type — these add up to the 7,760 total. Figures are for the whole Northern Beaches council area (which may cover several suburbs), last 12 months. Reported offences only.

Property values in Freshwater

Median sale price by property type, reported by postcode area — suburbs sharing a postcode show the same figure.

Houses
$3,925,000+2.61%
Postcode-area median · Q4 2025
Units & apartments
$1,255,000-1.57%
Postcode-area median · Q4 2025

Indicative postcode-area estimate — NSW medians are reported by postcode, so Freshwater shares this figure with nearby suburbs in the same postcode. Not a valuation of any specific property. Source: NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report — sales tables (postcode).

Zoning in Freshwater

Freshwater is mostly residential. The most common zones:

Residential82.6% of properties

Low density residential — mostly detached houses on standard suburban blocks.

Zone: Low Density Residential

Residential8.8% of properties

Medium density residential — townhouses, terraces and low-rise units (the “missing middle”).

Zone: Medium Density Residential

Centre / commercial6% of properties

Centre / commercial — shops, offices and mixed use; often allows apartments above.

Zone: Local Centre

School catchments in Freshwater

Freshwater can span more than one catchment — check a specific address (below) for the exact school.

Who lives in Freshwater

At the 2021 Census, 29.5% of Freshwater’s 9,186 residents were born overseas.

Top ancestries

English43.8%
Australian33.3%
Irish13.9%
Scottish12%
Italian5%
German4.6%

Top countries of birth

England9.1%
New Zealand2.2%
United States1.7%
Brazil1.4%
South Africa1.2%
Ireland0.8%

Ancestry counts people reporting each ancestry (up to two each), as a share of responses. Source: ABS 2021 Census.

Development near Freshwater

Northern Beaches council approved 560 new dwellings in the 12 months to May 2026.

560
Dwellings/yr
342
Houses
218
Units
05001,0002020202120222023202420252026

New dwellings approved across the whole Northern Beaches council area (not just Freshwater). See the council trend. Source: ABS Building Approvals.

Risk varies property by property. Check a specific Freshwater address:

Nearby suburbs

Figures are indicative only — verify any specific property with the relevant council. Sources: council/state planning schemes & flood mapping, Geoscape G-NAF, state police crime statistics, ABS.