VIC · Golden Plains Council

Shelford, 3329

Current weather

10°CMainly clear

87% humidity · 27.6 km/h wind · 13.2° / 8.9° today · 9.3 mm rain

Updated 2 July 2026 at 6:15 pm AEST

Desirability score

32.9/100

Below average

881st in VIC

70% data confidence

How this score is calculated

Rural
Established
Residential
Amenities
Open space

Suburb profile

In Golden Plains, Shelford keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Generous greenery runs through the area, from street trees to tucked-away reserves.

Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.

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 local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum against similar regional towns, even with parks and green space holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population: 263
Median age: 39
Median household income / week: $1,778
Dwelling vacancy: 13.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings: 15 of 109
Median monthly mortgage: $1,330
Employment rate: 68.1%
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 1 July 2026 at 5:05 pm AEST · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Total offences (2026): 8
Against the person: 1
Against property: 5
Rate per 1,000 residents: 30.4
Person-crime prevalence: About 1 in 263 residents
State safety percentile: 24.7th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate): +33.3%

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

A211 Fv Serious Assault1
B21 Criminal Damage2
B311 Residential Aggravated Burglary1
B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
B53 Obtain Benefit By Deception1

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 2 July 2026 at 12:14 pm AEST · Year ending March release

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools: 1
Median school ICSEA: 1,013

Shelford Primary SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:19 pm AEST · Annual ACARA release
School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:19 pm AEST · Annual ACARA release

Planning & development

Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

8 planning-related records

2021· 3 proposals

September 2021
The development of the land for the purposes of a shed pursuant to the provisions of the FZ (Clause 35.07-4)03 Sep 2021
154 ROKEWOOD-SHELFORD ROAD SHELFORD 3329Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
August 2021
Construction of a building (dwelling) under clause 43.02-2 (DDO)16 Aug 2021
20 ARCHIBALD DRIVE SHELFORD 3329Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2021
Construction of a building (agricultural shed) under clause 42.01-2 (ESO2)09 Mar 2021
1372 Rokewood-Shelford RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

2020· 5 proposals

December 2020
The use and development of the land for the purposes of Materials recycling and associated buildings and works pursuant to the provisions of the FZ (Clauses 35.07-1 & 35.07-4 of the planning scheme)08 Dec 2020
1115 SHELFORD-MT MERCER ROAD SHELFORD 3329NOD issued by the Resp. Authority
November 2020
Construction of a building (dwelling) under clause 43.02-2 in accordance with endorsed plans23 Nov 2020
18 Archibald DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
October 2020
Use and development of the land for the purposes of a Broiler farm and associated buildings and works pursuant to the provisions of the FZ (Clauses 35.07-1 & 35.07-4)02 Oct 2020
1115 SHELFORD-MT MERCER ROAD SHELFORD 3329In progress
September 2020
The use and development of the land for the purposes of a dwelling pursuant to the provisions of the FZ (Clauses 35.07-1 & 35.07-4) and create access to a road in a Transport Zone 2 (TRZ2) under Clause 52.29 of the planning scheme04 Sep 2020
CA 8 ROKEWOOD-SHELFORD ROAD SHELFORD 3329In progress
February 2020
The development of the land for a shed21 Feb 2020
15 BEATON LANEPermit 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 1 July 2026 at 5:31 pm AEST · 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 1 July 2026 at 5:15 pm AEST · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

Warrambine Flora ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:32 pm AEST

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021): 5/10
IRSD decile (2021): 5/10

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 1 July 2026 at 5:05 pm AEST · 2021 SEIFA release

Heritage

2 state heritage places

BRIDGE OVER LEIGH RIVERNH1452
FORMER LEIGH SHIRE HALLNH2274

Data sources & freshness

State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:33 pm AEST

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 1 July 2026 at 6:14 pm AEST

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM): 348
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 1 July 2026 at 5:16 pm AEST · Weekly refresh

Desirability Index

Desirability score: 32.9/100 — Below average
National rank: 4695th in Australia
State rank: 881st in VIC
Peer rank: #207 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank: #422 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence: 70%

Data sources & freshness

Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site 3 July 2026 at 4:02 pm AEST · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

A211 Fv Serious Assaultcrime1
B21 Criminal Damagecrime2
B311 Residential Aggravated Burglarycrime1
B41 Motor Vehicle Theftcrime1
B53 Obtain Benefit By Deceptioncrime1
BRIDGE OVER LEIGH RIVERheritageNH1452
FORMER LEIGH SHIRE HALLheritageNH2274
Warrambine Flora Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
Construction of a building (agricultural shed) under clause 42.01-2 (ESO2)planning1372 Rokewood-Shelford RoadLodged 09 Mar 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Construction of a building (dwelling) under clause 43.02-2 (DDO)planning20 ARCHIBALD DRIVE SHELFORD 3329Lodged 16 Aug 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site 2 July 2026 at 12:13 pm AEST · Year ending March release
Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:32 pm AEST
State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:33 pm AEST
PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Updated on site 1 July 2026 at 5:31 pm AEST · Public MapServer last updated Feb 2024 — applications through FY 2022–23 only; newer PPARS data requires council/API access

More in Golden Plains Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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