suburb.guide

VIC · Mount Alexander Council

Newstead, 3462

Current weather

8°CLight drizzle

94% humidity · 24.7 km/h wind · 10.1° / 6.8° today · 17.3 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

35.9/100
Below average

783rd in VIC

85% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Rural
  • Green space
  • Shops
  • Established
  • Residential
What Newstead is known for: Rural, Green space, Shops, Established, Residential

Suburb profile

Newstead offers a slower smaller community life in Mount Alexander, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.

An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood.

The market sits in a sensible middle ground: not cheap, but fair value for the area. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker growth momentum and local dining and lifestyle amenities against similar regional towns, even with safety holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
820
Median age
51
Median household income / week
$1,105
Dwelling vacancy
12.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
52 of 406
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Employment rate
51%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
37 / 0 / 5

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)
32
Against the person
9
Against property
18
Rate per 1,000 residents
39
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 91 residents
State safety percentile
35.3th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-25.6%

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • A231 Fv Common Assault4
  • B21 Criminal Damage4
  • B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary2
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle4
  • B49 Other Theft4

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
1
Median school ICSEA
1,041
  • Newstead Primary SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

4 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Panmure St/Pyrenees Hwy
  • Panmure St/Pyrenees Hwy
  • Railway Hotel/Creswick - Newstead Rd
  • Railway Hotel/Creswick - Newstead Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

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· 1 proposal

  • May 2021

  • s72 Amendment: Amend Condition 10 transport route and intersection upgrade for the Pyrenees Highway and Captains Gully Road.
    3059 PYRENEES HIGHWAY NEWSTEAD 3462Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 1 proposal

  • June 2020

  • Use and development of the land for a renewable energy facility (other than wind energy facility), utility installation and associated buildings and works and removal of native vegetation.
    000 part of the Captains Gully Road reservePermit 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

12 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Newstead ButchersButcher
  • Dig CafeCafe

    13 Lyons Street

  • IGAConvenience store

    11-13 Lyons Street, Newstead

  • Newstead CFAFire station
  • Parking
  • Picnic Table
  • Australia PostPost Box
  • Newstead LPOPost office

    41 Lyons Street, Newstead

  • Crown HotelPub

    8 Lyons Street, Newstead

  • Railway HotelPub

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

4 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Newstead Memorial ParkPark
  • Newstead ParkPark
  • Newstead Racecourse and Leisure ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

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

Heritage

1 state heritage place

  • NEWSTEAD COURT HOUSENH1705

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Newstead Pre-schoolkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

Childcare centre count

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site

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

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
5
Parks (OSM)
4

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
35.9/100 — Below average
National rank
4095th in Australia
State rank
783rd in VIC
Peer rank
#146 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#344 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
85%

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 Assaultcrime4
  • B21 Criminal Damagecrime4
  • B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglarycrime2
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehiclecrime4
  • B49 Other Theftcrime4
  • Newstead Pre-schoolchildcarekindergarten
  • NEWSTEAD COURT HOUSEheritageNH1705
  • Newstead Memorial Parkgovernmentpark
  • Newstead Parkgovernmentpark
  • Newstead Parkgovernmentpark

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
  • 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

More in Mount Alexander Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.