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Suburb profile ·Central Highlands (Qld) LGA · QLD ·4717

Blackwater QLD 4717

Blackwater is in Central Highlands (Qld) LGA, QLD, postcode 4717, with population 4,702.

Limited data

Thin-context

The page is still useful for local context, but the evidence stack is too thin for a clean one-page call. Use nearby stronger suburbs or compare mode before treating it as a serious shortlist decision.

$420/wk
Flat
+0.0% YoY
Jun 2021 → Mar 2026 · 20 periods
Queensland RTA · suburb grain · Mar 2026
$425
$275
Jun 2021Mar 2026
Why it fits

School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal.

What to check

The page is thin enough that nearby alternatives should be checked before shortlisting.

See what’s missing → Compare suburb Run calculator
Median house
—
No local house series
Median rent
$420/wk
Rent context available
→0.0%YoY D9 vs AU
Gross yield
—
Need rent + price
Population
4,702
5K local footprint
D9 vs AU
Schools
3
Matched school context
D9 vs AU
Drive to city
10h 29m
822.2 km to Brisbane CBD · free-flow
Solar
566
30 added 12mo · 5MW

Price history

House and unit medians · ABS + state datasets
No price history available

Price series isn't recorded for this suburb. Census housing data is shown instead.

Median mortgage · mth$1,083
Median rent · wk$220

Trend & investor depth

Derived from this suburb's own price, rent and income history
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±5.1% around trend

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investor profile

Who invests in Blackwater

Owner-occupied 35%Rented 65%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared7.6%
211 of 375 landlords
Avg rental loss$6,205/yr
Landlords (rental income)375
Reported capital gains175
The read

Renter-heavy market

33% of homes here are owner-occupied and 61% rented, with 8% of landlords negatively geared.

What to check

61% rented — renter-heavy areas turn over faster and are more exposed to rate moves and investor sentiment.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Affordability

Buying & renting · ABS Census + state data
18%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Manageable

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,083/mo, while renters pay about $1,820/mo — renting runs $737/mo higher on these medians.

Household income · yr
$123K
Median rent · wk
$420
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,083

Household income

ABS Census · ATO
$123K household · yr+54% vs QLD suburb median
Personal
$66K
Family
$145K
Household
$123K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)
Under $300
37
$300-649
84
$650-999
95
$1,000-1,499
128
$1,500-1,999
146
$2,000-2,999
335
$3,000-3,999
240
$4,000+
260

At the median asking rent, about 24% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $1,400/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

ABS Census 2021
Tenure (1,492 households)5.3% social housing
Owned outright
11%
Owned with mortgage
23%
Rented
61%
Dwelling structure31.8% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
93%
Townhouse / semi
2%
Flat / apartment
5%

Getting to work: 79% drive, 8% public transport, 6% walk or cycle, 4% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

ACARA 2025
Total3
Avg ICSEA860
Students880
Government3
  • Blackwater State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 785
  • Blackwater North State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 916
  • Blackwater State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 880

Livability

OSM · GTFS · schools + hospitals
70/ 100 livability index

Top 30% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 70% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access76
Public transport0
Schools & hospitals81

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime Year ending May 2026
6,557
6,557 per 100k
D8 vs AU

Crime

lga
Rate · per 100k6,557
Total incidents6,557· Year ending May 2026
  • Assault1,32831%
  • Break And Enter81319%
  • Drug Offences1,73141%
  • Fraud3458%

Development screen

Could a secondary dwelling be worth investigating?

Limited supporting context
secondary dwelling / granny flat screening context Medium broad constraint context

Policy position

Official source access limited

The official state policy page could not be reliably re-verified automatically in the latest review. Treat this screen as preliminary and confirm the current planning and building requirements with the state source and local council.

Rental use: State rental-law changes allow secondary dwellings to be rented more broadly, but implementation depends on an approved lawful dwelling and local planning/building requirements.

Open official policy source

Separate houses

63.3%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

16.0 pp below the state median

State median 79.3% · 838 valid suburbs

Residential-zone context

Not staged

A comparable planning-zone layer is not staged for this state.

Rental households

60.8%

Demand context only; it does not establish permission to rent a secondary dwelling.

31.1 pp above the state median

State median 29.7% · 838 valid suburbs

Mapped hazards

bushfire moderate

The staged suburb layer indicates a broad-area constraint that needs address-level checking. No broad-area layer staged for this suburb.

Approval pathway

Four checks, each with a different evidence threshold.

This is an investigation sequence, not a guarantee that every step applies or that approval will be granted.

  1. 01 Verify current source

    State policy position

    The current secondary dwelling / granny flat position needs direct confirmation before relying on this screen.

  2. 02 Property dependent

    Planning pathway

    Confirm zoning, lot controls, overlays, setbacks, site coverage and whether planning approval is required.

  3. 03 Design dependent

    Building approval

    Confirm the building approval route after the design, site classifications, services and construction requirements are known.

  4. 04 Check separately

    Intended use

    Confirm long-term rental, short-stay or family-use rules separately from permission to construct the dwelling.

Property due diligence

Turn the suburb screen into a property checklist.

Every check starts unconfirmed. Progress stays in this browser and suburb evidence never clears an address-level requirement.

0evidence acquired
0evidence missing
0reviews due
0consultant questions

Active record: Blackwater unnamed property

0/14checked
0issues found

Site controls

Lot area and dimensions

Confirm title dimensions, usable site area and any minimum lot threshold.

Status for Lot area and dimensions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Setbacks and site coverage

Test setbacks, private open space, landscaping and maximum site coverage against a concept plan.

Status for Setbacks and site coverage
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Slope and ground conditions

Check survey levels, soil classification, retaining needs and likely earthworks.

Status for Slope and ground conditions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title and planning

Zoning and overlays

Obtain current property-level zoning, overlays and applicable planning controls.

Status for Zoning and overlays
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title, easements and covenants

Review the title for easements, covenants, restrictions and common property.

Status for Title, easements and covenants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Services and access

Sewer and stormwater

Locate assets and connection points, then confirm capacity, clearances and discharge requirements.

Status for Sewer and stormwater
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Power, water and metering

Confirm service routes, upgrade needs and whether separate metering is permitted or practical.

Status for Power, water and metering
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Vehicle access and parking

Test driveway width, gradients, turning, parking and emergency access requirements.

Status for Vehicle access and parking
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Construction constraints

Bushfire exposure

Order an address-level bushfire assessment and determine any BAL construction response.

Status for Bushfire exposure
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Flood and overland flow

Obtain property flood information and check floor levels, flow paths and drainage constraints.

Status for Flood and overland flow
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Wind, corrosion and termite

Confirm site classifications that affect structural design, materials and durability.

Status for Wind, corrosion and termite
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Approval and use

Planning approval pathway

Confirm exemption, complying pathway or permit requirements with the responsible authority.

Status for Planning approval pathway
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Building approval and consultants

Identify required survey, design, engineering, energy, certification and inspection evidence.

Status for Building approval and consultants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Rental and intended use

Confirm occupation, rental, short-stay and family-use rules plus insurance and tax implications.

Status for Rental and intended use
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Blackwater, QLD 4717 · Local browser record

Investigation aid only. Confirm current planning, building, title, service and hazard requirements with qualified professionals and responsible authorities.

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

1 broad-area layer staged

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone land

Moderate broad-area context

About 18.8% of the suburb intersects mapped bushfire-prone land.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire exposure

NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land
Moderate exposure ~18.8%
~18.8% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Population outlook

ABS projection · Central Highlands - East SA2 area · 2022 base
7,369 people · 20228,295 by 2032 (+12.6%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Central Highlands - East SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Blackwater QLD — Property Data and Demographics

Located in Queensland within the Central Highlands (Qld) local government area, Blackwater is a smaller residential area (postcode 4717). With a population of 4,702, the suburb has a young professional demographic with a median age of 31. Households earn a median income of $123K per year, with an average household size of 2.6 people. QLD employment has moved +1.5% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. QLD also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 16 underway, and 30 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are machinery operators & drivers, technicians & trades, labourers. Employment in the area leans toward mining and accommodation & food. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Irish.

The current median weekly rent is $420. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,083.

Blackwater is served by 3 schools, including 2 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 860, which is well below the national average of 1,000. Healthcare facilities include 1 public hospital. The crime rate in the Central Highlands (Qld) LGA is moderate at 6,557 incidents per 100,000 population.

Market & money
InvestmentQLD
Mortgage · mth$1,083
Rent · wk(Census)$220
Market rent · wk(Q1 2026)$420
Employment · Central Highlands (Qld) LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.2%
YoY change-0.8pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 4717ATO
Negatively geared7.6%
211 of filers
Avg rental loss$6,205/yr
Landlords (rental income)375
Reported capital gains175
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population4,702
Median age31
Household size2.6
HH income · wk$2,358
Personal income · wk$1,268
Persons / bedroom0.8
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)3/10
Education (IEO)1/10
Economic (IER)2/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)2/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$2,184 → $2,358
Change+8%
vs QLD median-10 pp
Median rent+46.7%
softeningvs QLD 2016–21
Top occupationsCensus
Machinery Operators & Drivers678Technicians & Trades465Labourers282Professionals202Clerical & Administrative196
Top industriesCensus
Mining1,001Accommodation & Food241Education157Construction123Retail Trade112
Top ancestryCensus
Australian1,871English1,506Irish410Aboriginal Australian405Scottish371
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets1
Pharmacies1
GP / clinics2
Fuel stations5
Cafes & dining10
woolworths1
Hospitals · Central Highlands (Qld) LGAAIHW
Public3
Private0
Blackwater Hospitalpublic · in suburb
Emerald Hospitalpublic
Springsure Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Central Highlands (Qld) LGAGEN
Facilities3
Residential places81
Blue Care Emerald Avalon Aged Care Facility60 places
Springsure Multi-Purpose Service17 places
Blackwater Multi-Purpose Service4 places · in suburb
Childcare · Central Highlands (Qld) LGAACECQA
Services18
Approved places830
Exceeding NQS5
First 5 Years93 places
Emerald Outside School Hours Care83 places
Borilla Community Kindergarten (Emerald)75 places
C&K Emerald South Community Childcare Centre75 places
Emerald Community Kindergarten75 places
Goodstart Early Learning Emerald75 places
+12 more in Central Highlands (Qld) LGA
Nearby in Central Highlands (Qld) LGA12
Emerald$375K · 14,904Capella · 974Rolleston · 132Sapphire Central · 1,214Coomoo · 24Springsure · 950Minerva · 55Theresa Creek · 42Retro · 54Fork Lagoons · 33Bluff · 324Orion · 87
Tax calculatorsaustax.tools
Stamp Duty CalculatorQLD ↗Land Tax CalculatorQLD ↗Capital Gains Tax↗Depreciation Calculator↗Investment Property Tax↗
Shortlist workspace

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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Usable evidence

Blackwater works as a starting read but still needs cross-checking.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
Prices come from release-based suburb series.

QVAS residential dwelling sales aggregated to SA2 and mapped to suburb pages

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
QGSO Housing Profiles · QVAS residential dwelling sales aggregated to SA2 and mapped to suburb pages
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Missing
Market rent
Queensland RTA · Q1 2026 · State market dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Available
Crime
State crime dataset · Year ending May 2026 · Area-level release dataset
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 3 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · 1 hospitals matched
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Transport
GTFS feeds · No matched local transport stops
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Population growth
ABS ERP · No linked annual population growth series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Missing
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · No linked approvals series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Missing
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.
Sparse locality note

This page stays indexable because Blackwater is a real locality with enough context to be directionally useful. The tradeoff is that coverage is lighter than a stronger suburb profile, so the read should stay cautious.

WHY IT LOOKS LIGHTER
The page is readable, but the local evidence base is lighter than a mainstream suburb profile.

Use it for direction first, then confirm the story against stronger neighbouring suburbs or the state hub before relying on it.

WHAT IS MISSING
Coverage is lighter across transport stops, population trend data, and building approvals.

Coverage is thinner on transport stops, population trend data, and building approvals; lean less on this one page and confirm those gaps elsewhere.

BEST NEXT STEP
Use this page to understand the locality shape, then compare outward.

Use it for context first, then move to compare, the state hub, or a larger nearby suburb before calling it a full market decision.

Page status
INDEXED WITH LIGHTER COVERAGE

This page remains visible, but it should be read as a locality brief rather than a full-confidence suburb profile.

HOW TO READ THIS PAGE

This page is useful for direction-setting, not closure. Use it to frame the locality, then confirm the story with compare, stronger nearby suburbs, and the state hub.

Next step path
COMPARE OR CHECK NEARBY Open QLD hub Browse rankings
Stronger nearby reads

If Blackwater feels too thin on its own, use these nearby suburbs as stronger local reads before making a shortlist decision.

Emerald better covered
similar rent profile better market coverage

pop +10200 · adds house price coverage · rent -$120/wk

Better covered alternative: use this as the stronger reference point before judging the thin page.

Detail Compare
Capella most similar
similar rent profile

pop -3700 · rent -$200/wk

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Detail Compare
Rolleston most similar
similar rent profile

pop -4600 · rent -$205/wk

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Detail Compare

Blackwater FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Blackwater in?

    Blackwater is in the Central Highlands (Qld) Local Government Area, QLD, postcode 4717. Council-level context for Central Highlands (Qld) LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the typical weekly rent in Blackwater?

    The median weekly rent in Blackwater is $420/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent context available.

  3. What does the rent signal say about Blackwater?

    Rent context available: Blackwater has usable rent context. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  4. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Blackwater?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  5. How often is the Blackwater data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.