Is Balgownie, NSW Climate Safe? 2026 Assessment
Climate Safety Score
5.8/10Moderate climate risk — address-specific
Key Facts
- Climate Safety
- Medium
- Flood
- Balgownie faces a moderate risk of flooding due to its proximity to creeks and the potential for heavy rainfall. Climate change is expected to increase the intensity of rainfall events, exacerbating flood risk.
- Bushfire
- Balgownie has a moderate bushfire risk due to its proximity to bushland areas. Hot, dry conditions and strong winds can increase the likelihood of bushfires. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of bushfire weather.
- Heat
- Balgownie is expected to experience more frequent and intense heatwaves due to climate change. This poses a risk to vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those with chronic health conditions.
- Storm
- Moderate storm risk — East Coast Lows bring severe weather including hail and damaging winds
- Postcode
- 2519
- Region
- Coastal NSW
- Median property value
- $925,000
- Dominant hazard
- extreme heat (5/10)
- Highest high-risk exposure
- 22.2% of land (bushfire)
Climate Safety Analysis
Balgownie in New South Wales has an overall climate safety rating of Medium. This multi-hazard assessment combines flood, bushfire, heat, coastal, and storm risk data with climate projections to 2050 from CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Key factors affecting Balgownie's climate safety include heat, flood, coastal. Each hazard is assessed independently and combined for an overall picture. Australia has warmed by approximately 1.5 °C since 1910, with flow-on effects to fire weather, extreme rainfall, and heatwave frequency.
Climate safety for property in Balgownie is not uniform — it varies by address. Factors such as elevation, distance to waterways, proximity to bushland, and local drainage all influence actual risk at a specific property. Two nearby properties can have materially different risk profiles.
For a complete property-specific climate safety report for Balgownie including address-level hazard mapping, insurance outlook, and adaptation recommendations, use the ClimateNest full analysis tool.
Balgownie located in Coastal NSW (postcode 2519), is a New South Wales suburb tracked by ClimateNest. The suburb's median property value is $925,000, and understanding climate exposure is becoming a standard part of due diligence for buyers, lenders and insurers pricing property in Balgownie.
Across the six hazard axes ClimateNest models, the dominant climate risk in Balgownie is extreme heat (score 5/10), with moderate exposure. Insurance signals for the suburb point to premiums rising moderately (+30% by 2030). These suburb-level signals help prioritise which properties need the closest look — the actual risk of any single home can only be confirmed with an address-level report.
Whether you are buying, selling or renovating in Balgownie, extreme heat is the hazard to weigh first. Local council planning controls, state hazard mapping and lender climate policies each reference this kind of suburb-level signal, and property decisions in Balgownie are increasingly made with an address-level climate report in hand.
Local Hazard Evidence
Historical Events
Balgownie experienced a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius for several days.
A severe storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to Balgownie, causing damage to trees and power lines.
A bushfire near the Illawarra Escarpment threatened properties in Balgownie, but was quickly contained by firefighters.
Heavy rainfall caused flooding in low-lying areas of Balgownie, impacting homes and businesses.
Adaptation & Mitigation Actions
Improve Flood Defenses
Near-termInvest in flood mitigation infrastructure, such as levees and drainage improvements, to protect properties from flooding.
Est. cost: High
Reduce Bushfire Risk
Near-termImplement bushfire management strategies, such as hazard reduction burns and community education programs, to reduce the risk of bushfires.
Est. cost: Medium
Prepare for Heatwaves
ImmediateDevelop a heatwave plan and provide cooling centers for vulnerable populations to reduce the health impacts of heatwaves.
Est. cost: Low
Plan for Sea Level Rise
Long-termIncorporate sea level rise projections into coastal planning and development decisions to ensure that new development is resilient to coastal hazards.
Est. cost: High
Council & Emergency Services
Explore Balgownie Risk Reports
View other climate risk assessments for Balgownie:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Balgownie safe from climate change?
No location in Australia is entirely immune to climate change impacts. Balgownie has an overall Medium climate risk rating. Understanding the specific hazards at your property address — not just the suburb average — provides the most reliable risk picture.
Which climate hazard poses the biggest risk in Balgownie?
The dominant hazard for Balgownie depends on geography and local environment. Proximity to waterways elevates flood risk, while proximity to bushland increases bushfire risk. ClimateNest's multi-hazard analysis identifies the highest-risk hazards for any specific address.
How does Balgownie compare to nearby suburbs for climate safety?
Nearby suburbs may have different climate risk profiles depending on elevation, vegetation cover, drainage patterns, and land use. ClimateNest allows comparison of climate safety scores across New South Wales suburbs.
Should I be concerned about buying property in Balgownie?
Climate risk should be one factor in your decision, alongside price, location, and amenity. An informed buyer understands the specific risks at a property address and factors insurance costs and climate projections into their assessment of long-term value.
What climate projections should I know for Balgownie?
Key projections for New South Wales from CSIRO include increased average temperatures, more frequent hot days, changes in rainfall seasonality, longer fire seasons, and potential increases in extreme rainfall intensity. These trends inform the long-term outlook for Balgownie.
What are the main climate risks in Balgownie?
ClimateNest's suburb model rates Balgownie's dominant climate risk as extreme heat at 5/10 on a 0–10 index, followed by damaging wind (5/10) and severe storm (5/10). These are suburb-level averages — an address-level report is needed to confirm the risk of a specific property in Balgownie.
What share of Balgownie is exposed to high bushfire risk?
ClimateNest's hazard overlay maps 22.2% of Balgownie in high-risk zones for bushfire, with a further 54.5% in moderate-risk zones. Suburb-level exposure is not uniform — individual properties can differ from these averages, so an address-level check is recommended.
Is Balgownie Safe from Climate Risk?
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Full report from A$69 · Australian addresses only · 8 hazard scores · Insurance trajectory · 2030 & 2050 projections