VIC · Indigo Council
Browns Plains, 3685
Current weather
9.5°CModerate drizzle
66% humidity · 24.8 km/h wind · 11.3° / 5.1° today · 6.3 mm rain
Updated
- National parks
- Green suburb
- Café precinct
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Browns Plains is a residential smaller community in Indigo with a familiar suburban feel. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
Homes offer solid value for the lifestyle on offer. 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
- 99
- Median age
- 55
- Median household income / week
- $1,406
- Dwelling vacancy
- 17%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 8 of 47
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,950
- Employment rate
- 66.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 0 / 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
- 0
- Against property
- 7
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 70.7
- State safety percentile
- 62.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +75%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary1
- B322 Non-Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary2
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft2
- B49 Other Theft2
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
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- Maintenance Works activities occurring between 28/05/2026 and 31/08/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM, Weekends 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Note that changed conditions may also be in place during 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Greater than 10 min.MURRAY VALLEY HIGHWAY, CHILTERN-HOWLONG ROAD27 May 2026 – 30 Aug 2026
- Maintenance Works activities occurring between 28/05/2026 and 31/08/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Weekends 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Greater than 10 min.MURRAY VALLEY HIGHWAY, CHILTERN-HOWLONG ROAD27 May 2026 – 30 Aug 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
3 planning-related records
2021· 1 proposal
August 2021
- Shed/Workshop133 FLEGGS ROAD BROWNS PLAINS 3685Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 2 proposals
December 2020
- Solar Array105 Fraser RoadPermit issued by the RA
October 2020
- Hay Shed21 Hut RoadPermit 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
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Chiltern I91 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 8/10
- 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 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
Recent changes
- B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglarycrime1
- B322 Non-Residential Non-Aggravated Burglarycrime2
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theftcrime2
- B49 Other Theftcrime2
- Chiltern I91 Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Hay Shedplanning21 Hut RoadLodged 21 Oct 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Shed/Workshopplanning133 FLEGGS ROAD BROWNS PLAINS 3685Lodged 02 Aug 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Solar Arrayplanning105 Fraser RoadLodged 01 Dec 2020 · Permit issued by the RA
- Maintenance Works activities occurring between 28/05/2026 and 31/08/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM, Weekends 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Note that changed conditions may also be in place during 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Greater than 10 min.roadworksMURRAY VALLEY HIGHWAY, CHILTERN-HOWLONG ROAD27 May 2026 – 30 Aug 2026
- Maintenance Works activities occurring between 28/05/2026 and 31/08/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Weekends 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Greater than 10 min.roadworksMURRAY VALLEY HIGHWAY, CHILTERN-HOWLONG ROAD27 May 2026 – 30 Aug 2026
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
- 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
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
More in Indigo Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.