VIC · Bass Coast Council
Wattle Bank, 3995
Current weather
10.8°CLight drizzle
92% humidity · 31.6 km/h wind · 12.3° / 9.5° today · 23.8 mm rain
Desirability score
- Safe area
- Regional
- Established
- Amenities
- Open space
Suburb profile
Wattle Bank is a quieter smaller community in Bass Coast, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. The market sits in a sensible middle ground: not cheap, but fair value for the area.
Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
The desirability score is below average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and parks and green space against similar regional towns, even with safety and community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 250
- Median age
- 41
- Median household income / week
- $1,812
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 11 of 94
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 65.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 4 / 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)
- 2
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 8
- State safety percentile
- 2th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -81.8%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- B49 Other 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 · 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).
15 planning-related records
2021· 6 proposals
July 2021
- Subdivision of two lots515 LYNNES ROAD WATTLE BANK 3995Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2021
- Building and works for an agricultural shed in RLZ9 Desmond RoadWithdrawn
May 2021
- Outbuilding(shed) larger than 100sqm in association with existing dwelling in the RLZ51 DESMOND ROAD WATTLE BANK 3995Refusal issued by a delegate
- Variation of Covenant PS542235X to replace building envelope with building exclusion zone494 Lynnes RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
February 2021
- Amendment subdivision of land into two lots and removal of native vegetation494 Lynnes RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Alterations & Addition to existing dwelling RLZ51 Desmond RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 9 proposals
December 2020
- Alterations & addition to existing dwelling RLZ51 Desmond RoadWithdrawn
- Development of land for a dwelling within 100m of a waterway94 Desmond RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
November 2020
- Building and works for outbuilding in association to dwelling in RLZ114 Desmond RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
October 2020
- Development of land for Outbuilding associated with dwelling in RLZ128 Desmond RoadWithdrawn
September 2020
- Re-subdivision of the land into three lots85 Desmond Road & 590 Inverloch-Kongwak RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2020
- Subdivision of land into two lots in RLZ66 Desmond RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2020
- Development of land for dwelling and outbuilding in BMO751 Lynnes RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
January 2020
- Subdivision of land into two lots and removal of native vegetation494 Lynnes RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Subdivision of land into two lots525 Lynnes 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
4 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Picnic Table (3)
- Public toilets
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
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- 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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 2
- 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
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 37.0/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3889th in Australia
- State rank
- 744th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #163 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #317 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 62%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- B49 Other Theftcrime1
- B53 Obtain Benefit By Deceptioncrime1
- Alterations & Addition to existing dwelling RLZplanning51 Desmond RoadLodged 15 Feb 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Alterations & addition to existing dwelling RLZplanning51 Desmond RoadLodged 22 Dec 2020 · Withdrawn
- Amendment subdivision of land into two lots and removal of native vegetationplanning494 Lynnes RoadLodged 17 Feb 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Building and works for an agricultural shed in RLZplanning9 Desmond RoadLodged 08 Jun 2021 · Withdrawn
- Building and works for outbuilding in association to dwelling in RLZplanning114 Desmond RoadLodged 13 Nov 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of land for Outbuilding associated with dwelling in RLZplanning128 Desmond RoadLodged 14 Oct 2020 · Withdrawn
- Development of land for a dwelling within 100m of a waterwayplanning94 Desmond RoadLodged 10 Dec 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of land for dwelling and outbuilding in BMOplanning751 Lynnes RoadLodged 25 Mar 2020 · 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
- 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
Similar suburbs
Suburbs with a similar population, SEIFA decile and location.