VIC · Colac Otway Council
Beech Forest, 3237
Current weather
7°CMainly clear
89% humidity · 25.5 km/h wind · 9.3° / 5.5° today · 7.7 mm rain
Updated
- Green space
- Residential
- Amenities
- Suburban
- Community
Suburb profile
Beech Forest is a welcoming smaller community in Colac Otway, with a settled community character. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. Leafy streets and shaded corners make the suburb feel greener and more established than many nearby.
A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.
Homes offer solid value for the lifestyle on offer. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Population
- Population
- 125
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $840
- Dwelling vacancy
- 46.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 37 of 80
- Median monthly mortgage
- $947
- Employment rate
- 47.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 5 / 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)
- 4
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 32
- State safety percentile
- 26.5th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -55.6%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
- B49 Other Theft1
- E22 Breach Intervention Order2
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
Amenities
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bench
- Bus Station
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
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Cliff Young ParkPark
- Ditchley ParkPark
- John H Gardner ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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)
- 16
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
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
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehiclecrime1
- B49 Other Theftcrime1
- E22 Breach Intervention Ordercrime2
- Cliff Young Parkgovernmentpark
- Ditchley Parkgovernmentpark
- John H Gardner Reservegovernmentpark
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Bus Stationamenitiesbus_station
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site · Year ending March release
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
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.