VIC · Colac Otway Council
Barwon Downs, 3243
Current weather
5.1°CPartly cloudy
94% humidity · 25.9 km/h wind · 7.6° / 3.8° today · 8.4 mm rain
Updated
- Residential
- Amenities
- Open space
- Suburban
- Community
Suburb profile
Barwon Downs is a welcoming smaller community in Colac Otway, with a settled community character. The community is self-contained in the best sense. Local life comes first, with the region opening up beyond. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees.
Housing is well-priced for what you get: space, location and everyday convenience. Local identity runs deep. This is the kind of place people stay once they have found it.
Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Population
- Population
- 136
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,037
- Dwelling vacancy
- 27%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 24 of 89
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,083
- Employment rate
- 61.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 4 / 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 (2026)
- 7
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 3
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 51.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 68 residents
- State safety percentile
- 48.6th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +250%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- B19 Other Fire Related Offences2
- B53 Obtain Benefit By Deception1
- C32 Drug Possession2
- Other Crimes Against The Person2
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Year ending March release
Public transport
2 public transport stops in this suburb
- Barwon Downs General Store/Birregurra-Forest Rd
- Barwon Downs Public Hall/Birregurra-Forrest Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
2 planning-related records
2021· 2 proposals
April 2021
- Use and Development of Land for Dwelling50 Kents RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
January 2021
- Two (2) Lot Subdivision20 WALLACES ROAD BARWON DOWNS 3243Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Period: 2020–2022 · Updated on site · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access
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)
- 7/10
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
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay 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)
- 0
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
Recent changes
- B19 Other Fire Related Offencescrime2
- B53 Obtain Benefit By Deceptioncrime1
- C32 Drug Possessioncrime2
- Other Crimes Against The Personcrime2
- Two (2) Lot Subdivisionplanning20 WALLACES ROAD BARWON DOWNS 3243Lodged 29 Jan 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Use and Development of Land for Dwellingplanning50 Kents RoadLodged 16 Apr 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Barwon Downs General Store/Birregurra-Forest Rdtransport
- Barwon Downs Public Hall/Birregurra-Forrest Rdtransport
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site · Year ending March release
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Updated on site · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
More in Colac Otway Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.