VIC · Nillumbik Council
Bend Of Islands, 3097
Current weather
9.9°CLight drizzle
93% humidity · 29.1 km/h wind · 11° / 8.5° today · 7.8 mm rain
Desirability score
Suburb snapshot
Bend Of Islands is a small locality in the Nillumbik area, home to around 267 residents (2021 Census). Available data shows 3 offences in 2025 with rising year-on-year trends (+200%), roughly 11.2 offences per 1,000 residents, fewer mapped amenities than nearby suburbs, and some planning and development activity on record. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 267
- Median age
- 47
- Median household income / week
- $1,971
- Dwelling vacancy
- 16.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 18 of 112
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,084
- Employment rate
- 57.8%
- 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.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (2025)
- 3
- Against the person
- 1
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 11.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 267 residents
- State safety percentile
- 4.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +200%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- A231 Fv Common Assault1
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
- B49 Other Theft1
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: 2023 · Updated on site · Year ending March release
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
7 planning-related records
2021· 2 proposals
September 2021
- Buildings and works to construct a dwelling and outbuilding and removal of trees and vegetation (retrospective)776 HENLEY ROAD BEND OF ISLANDS 3097Withdrawn
February 2021
- Buildings and works to construct a dwelling extension, outbuilding (shed) and vegetation removal235 CATANI BOULEVARD BEND OF ISLANDS 3097Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 5 proposals
October 2020
- Buildings and works to construct an outbuilding, gate, removal of vegetation and associated earthworks56 CATANI BOULEVARD BEND OF ISLANDS 3097Refusal issued by the Resp. Authority
September 2020
- Use and development of the land for a dwelling, construction of driveway and temporary shed structure469 Henley RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2020
- Buildings and works to construct a deck and gazebo662 Henley RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2020
- Buildings or works in a Zone - Works to construct a verandah74 Catani BoulevardPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
February 2020
- Buildings and works to construct a shed and removal of one tree191 Catani BoulevardLapsed
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
1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Christmas Hills South CFAFire 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
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Kangaroo Ground South Bushland ReserveNature reserve
- Neil Douglas Natural Features ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
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
- BURNS HOUSE 'KANGAROO'NH2314
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
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)
- 3
- 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
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 33.7/100
- National rank
- 4422nd in Australia
- State rank
- 875th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #185 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #415 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 62%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime1
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theftcrime1
- B49 Other Theftcrime1
- BURNS HOUSE 'KANGAROO'heritageNH2314
- Kangaroo Ground South Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Neil Douglas Natural Features Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Buildings and works to construct a deck and gazeboplanning662 Henley RoadLodged 22 Jun 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Buildings and works to construct a dwelling and outbuilding and removal of trees and vegetation (retrospective)planning776 HENLEY ROAD BEND OF ISLANDS 3097Lodged 10 Sep 2021 · Withdrawn
- Buildings and works to construct a dwelling extension, outbuilding (shed) and vegetation removalplanning235 CATANI BOULEVARD BEND OF ISLANDS 3097Lodged 12 Feb 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Buildings and works to construct a shed and removal of one treeplanning191 Catani BoulevardLodged 03 Feb 2020 · Lapsed
Data sources & freshness
- 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
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
- 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
Similar suburbs
Suburbs with a similar population, SEIFA decile and location.