NSW · Bellingen Council
Brierfield, 2454
Current weather
18.3°CClear sky
81% humidity · 6.9 km/h wind · 21.6° / 12.3° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
In Bellingen, Brierfield keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.
Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Strong public transport connections keep the wider area accessible.
Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum against similar regional towns, even with housing affordability and safety holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 322
- Median age
- 46
- Median household income / week
- $1,604
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 5 of 117
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,625
- Employment rate
- 57.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 8 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $630
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 39
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 19
- Against the person
- 7
- Against property
- 8
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 59
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 46 residents
- State safety percentile
- 36.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -9.3%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault39
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment53
- Malicious Damage To Property66
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault42
- Other Offences62
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
44 public transport stops in this suburb
- 169 Martells Rd
- Bowraville Rd At Hains Lane
- Bowraville Rd At South Arm Rd
- Bowraville Rd Opp 976
- Martells Rd Opp 70
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
18 planning-related records
2026· 3 proposals
June 2026
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Swimming pool490 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Under Assessment
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Subdivision; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia490 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
February 2026
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Shipping containers617 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
2025· 3 proposals
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Subdivision; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia490 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
April 2025
- Dwelling house; Subdivision; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia490 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
February 2025
- Subdivision492 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
2024· 3 proposals
September 2024
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Shipping containers617 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure528 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
January 2024
- Subdivision913 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
2023· 4 proposals
November 2023
- Shed; Erection of a new structure353 MARTELLS ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
July 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing1021 SOUTH ARM ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
June 2023
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces636 SOUTH ARM ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
February 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing330 MARTELLS ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
2022· 3 proposals
October 2022
- Dwelling617 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
June 2022
- Dwelling; Secondary dwelling; Demolition528 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
January 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development1186 SOUTH ARM ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
2021· 2 proposals
December 2021
- Secondary dwelling703 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Determined
November 2021
- Pools / decks / fencing764 BOWRAVILLE ROAD BRIERFIELD 2454Pending Lodgement
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 49.4/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 30% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1998th in Australia
- State rank
- 636th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #48 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #132 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 60%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime39
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime53
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime66
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime42
- Other Offencescrime62
- 169 Martells Rdtransport
- Bowraville Rd At Hains Lanetransport
- Bowraville Rd At South Arm Rdtransport
- Bowraville Rd Opp 976transport
- Martells Rd Opp 70transport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
More in Bellingen Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.