suburb.guide

QLD · Charters Towers Council

Basalt, 4820

Current weather

19.4°CClear sky

73% humidity · 10.9 km/h wind · 25.9° / 13.8° today · 0 mm rain

Desirability score

26/100
Below average

1361st in QLD

52% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Regional
  • Established
  • Amenities
  • Open space
  • Suburban
What Basalt is known for: Regional, Established, Amenities, Open space, Suburban

Suburb profile

Basalt offers a slower smaller community life in Charters Towers, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Distance from the capital is part of the appeal, with wide open surrounds and a self-contained community rhythm. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.

Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Homes offer solid value for the lifestyle on offer.

This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, with housing affordability and local dining and lifestyle amenities the main drags compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
215
Median age
45
Median household income / week
$1,375
Dwelling vacancy
33.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
36 of 107
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Employment rate
58.2%
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 (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
13
Against the person
3
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
60.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 72 residents
State safety percentile
77.7th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-7.4%

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • Assault77
  • Drug Offences136
  • Good Order Offences81
  • Other Property Damage59
  • Traffic And Related Offences151

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • Various locations between Charters Towers and Torrens CreekFlinders Highway, n/a21 Apr 2026 – 27 Oct 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported

Planning & development

Development applications from QLD coordinated projects (lodged 2020–2026).

1 planning-related records

Other· 1 proposal
  • Big Rocks Weir project
    Construction and operation of a 10,000 megalitre weir at Big Rocks on the Burdekin RiverCurrent EIS project

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

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

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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

2 state heritage places

  • Hann Family GraveState heritage place
  • Lolworth Creek BatteryState heritage place

Data sources & freshness

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

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area 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

Desirability index

Desirability score
26.0/100 — Below average
National rank
5879th in Australia
State rank
1361st in QLD
Peer rank
#381 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#848 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
52%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Assaultcrime77
  • Drug Offencescrime136
  • Good Order Offencescrime81
  • Other Property Damagecrime59
  • Traffic And Related Offencescrime151
  • Hann Family GraveheritageState heritage place
  • Lolworth Creek BatteryheritageState heritage place
  • Big Rocks Weir projectplanningConstruction and operation of a 10,000 megalitre weir at Big Rocks on the Burdekin RiverCurrent EIS project
  • Various locations between Charters Towers and Torrens CreekroadworksFlinders Highway, n/a21 Apr 2026 – 27 Oct 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
  • QLD coordinated projects — Queensland Department of State Development · Updated on site · State coordinated projects register (not council DAs)
  • Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported