VIC · West Wimmera Council
Charam, 3318
Current weather
8.3°CLight drizzle
87% humidity · 25.1 km/h wind · 11.1° / 6.6° today · 8.4 mm rain
Updated
- National parks
- Green suburb
- Café precinct
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Charam is a welcoming smaller community in West Wimmera, with a settled community character. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life.
The town centre holds its own, with enough local flavour to make staying close to home appealing. Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
Population
- Population
- 42
- Median age
- 56
- Median household income / week
- $1,124
- Dwelling vacancy
- 36.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 8 of 22
- Median monthly mortgage
- $803
- Employment rate
- 57.1%
- 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 (2020)
- 1
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 1
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 23.8
- State safety percentile
- 17.6th (lower crime is better)
Most common offence types
- 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: 2020 · 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).
1 planning-related records
2021· 1 proposal
May 2021
- Use and development of land for a DwellingLOT 1 AND LOT 2 ON TP326986B BOWLES ROAD CHARAM 3318NOD issued by the Resp. Authority
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
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Charam Bushland ReserveNature reserve
- Little Donkey Woman Swamp Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve
- Mahney Swamp Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve
- OKeefe Swamp Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve
- Richardsons State ForestNature reserve
- Silver Lake Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
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
- B49 Other Theftcrime1
- Charam Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Little Donkey Woman Swamp Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve
- Mahney Swamp Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve
- OKeefe Swamp Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve
- Richardsons State Forestgovernmentnature_reserve
- Silver Lake Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve
- Use and development of land for a DwellingplanningLOT 1 AND LOT 2 ON TP326986B BOWLES ROAD CHARAM 3318Lodged 07 May 2021 · NOD issued by the Resp. Authority
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
More in West Wimmera Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.