NSW · Clarence Valley Council
Harwood, 2465
Current weather
18°CPartly cloudy
82% humidity · 9.6 km/h wind · 20.7° / 13.8° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
In Clarence Valley, Harwood 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. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
The area suits established families and long-term locals, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. Construction and infill projects are noticeably reshaping parts of the area.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 346
- Median age
- 45
- Median household income / week
- $1,101
- Dwelling vacancy
- 10.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 15 of 148
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 53.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 21 / 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.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 23
- Against the person
- 3
- Against property
- 15
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 66.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 115 residents
- State safety percentile
- 44.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -20.5%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Break And Enter Non-Dwelling4
- Motor Vehicle Theft3
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault2
- Other Offences4
- Other Theft3
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 943
- Harwood Island Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
21 public transport stops in this suburb
- Harwood Island Post Office, Morpeth St
- Harwood Island Public School, Morpeth St
- Morpeth St At River St
- Ulgundahi View Before Darhi Milgirr Rd
- Watts Lane At Nicholsons Lane
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).
35 planning-related records
2026· 2 proposals
March 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Rural industry45 MILL LANE HARWOOD 2465Determined
January 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Jetty; Water Infrastructure273 MARTINS POINT ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
2025· 2 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development29 RIVER ROAD EAST HARWOOD 2465Determined
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure264 SERPENTINE CHANNEL SOUTH BANK ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
2024· 3 proposals
November 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure264 SERPENTINE CHANNEL SOUTH BANK ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
October 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure7 MORPETH STREET HARWOOD 2465Withdrawn
April 2024
- Subdivision110 MARTINS POINT ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
2023· 8 proposals
November 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure12 MORPETH STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
September 2023
- Shed; Erection of a new structureMARTINS POINT ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Centre based childcare4 RIVER STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
August 2023
- Subdivision of land7 MORPETH STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Secondary dwelling54 MORPETH STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
July 2023
- Dwelling290 SERPENTINE CHANNEL SOUTH BANK ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
March 2023
- Dwelling259 WATTS LANE HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Shed12 MORPETH STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
2022· 9 proposals
October 2022
- Retaining walls, protection of treesCAREYS LANE HARWOOD 2465Determined
June 2022
- Shed314 MARTINS POINT ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing6 RIVER STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
April 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development; Subdivision of land264 SERPENTINE CHANNEL SOUTH BANK ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
March 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing144 BECKMANS LANE HARWOOD 2465Determined
February 2022
- Dwelling35 RIVER ROAD EAST HARWOOD 2465Determined
January 2022
- Dwelling102 SERPENTINE CHANNEL SOUTH BANK ROAD HARWOOD 2465Deferred Commencement
- Dwelling102 SERPENTINE CHANNEL SOUTH BANK ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Dwelling65 RIVER ROAD EAST HARWOOD 2465Determined
2021· 8 proposals
November 2021
- Dwelling; Garages, carports and car parking spaces45 RIVER ROAD EAST HARWOOD 2465Determined
- DwellingHARWOOD 2465Determined
September 2021
- Dwelling; Subdivision of landMARTINS POINT ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Dwelling; Subdivision of land338 WATTS LANE HARWOOD 2465Determined
- Shed7 MORPETH STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
August 2021
- Pools / decks / fencing40 RIVER STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
March 2021
- Dwelling; Subdivision of land; Other126 WATTS LANE HARWOOD 2465Determined
February 2021
- Dwelling; Subdivision of landMARTINS POINT ROAD HARWOOD 2465Determined
2020· 3 proposals
September 2020
- Centre based childcare6 RIVER STREET HARWOOD 2465Determined
February 2020
- Alterations and additions to residential development; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Pools / decks / fencing290 The serpentine Channel Southbank RdDetermined
- Dwelling; Earthworks / change in levelsWatts Lane, Harwood, NSW, 2465Determined
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
3 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Parking (2)
- Ferret OvalSports field
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
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)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Ulgundahi IslandClarence River by North Arm, MacleanSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 30.1/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5294th in Australia
- State rank
- 1681st in NSW
- Peer rank
- #374 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #726 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Ferret Ovalamenitiespitch
- Parkingamenitiesparking
- Parkingamenitiesparking
- Break And Enter Non-Dwellingcrime4
- Motor Vehicle Theftcrime3
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime2
- Other Offencescrime4
- Other Theftcrime3
- Harwood Island Post Office, Morpeth Sttransport
- Harwood Island Public School, Morpeth Sttransport
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)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Clarence Valley Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.