VIC · Yarriambiack Council
Watchem West, 3393
Current weather
10.4°CLight drizzle
89% humidity · 20.9 km/h wind · 12.9° / 8.6° today · 7.4 mm rain
Updated
- Green suburb
- National parks
Suburb profile
Watchem West is a welcoming smaller community in Yarriambiack, with a settled community character. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. Leafy streets and shaded corners make the suburb feel greener and more established than many nearby.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Weekends tend to revolve around local favourites: a café, a market run, a walk through town. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.
The market sits in a sensible middle ground: not cheap, but fair value for the area.
Population
- Population
- 29
- Median age
- 37
- Median household income / week
- $1,875
- Dwelling vacancy
- 14.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 3 of 21
- Median monthly mortgage
- $400
- Employment rate
- 76%
- 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)
- 4
- Against the person
- 3
- Against property
- 0
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 137.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 10 residents
- State safety percentile
- 83.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -42.9%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- A231 Fv Common Assault2
- A712 Non-Fv Stalking1
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order1
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
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
February 2021
- 2 Lot Subdivision324 Massey RdPermit 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
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Watchem I122 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
- Watchem I123 Bushland ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- 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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 25
- 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
Recent changes
- A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime2
- A712 Non-Fv Stalkingcrime1
- E21 Breach Family Violence Ordercrime1
- Watchem I122 Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Watchem I123 Bushland Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- 2 Lot Subdivisionplanning324 Massey RdLodged 23 Feb 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
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 Yarriambiack Council
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