suburb.guide

VIC · Latrobe Council

Balook, 3971

Est. population · Jun 2025

9

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

59

Median income

$1,812/wk

Employment rate

70%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • National parks
What Balook is known for: National parks

Suburb profile

Balook offers a slower smaller community life in Latrobe Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. A genuine café and dining culture runs through the area, denser than many peers of a similar size.

Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk. The local market is more attainable than many surrounding suburbs.

Crime reports are up on the previous period. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

At a glance

Balook snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$390/wk

Population (ERP)

9

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

61.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

98th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

5th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Housing

All types (Sep 2025 (council median))
$390

Median weekly rent from Victorian government rent reports. Council median fallback may apply where suburb rent is unavailable.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

9(June 2025)

0.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 5th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in VIC
5th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~0), extrapolated at +0.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
9
Median age
59
Median household income / week
$1,812
Dwelling vacancy
61.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
8 of 13
Median monthly mortgage
$1,500
Employment rate
70%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
8 / 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 · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
5
Against the person
5
Against property
0
Rate per 1,000 residents
555.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 2 residents
State safety percentile
97.6th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+150%

Most common offence types

  • A81 Dangerous Driving5

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

9 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 restaurants

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
2/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
111.11
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink(1)
  • Restaurant
Other(6)
  • Pattison Rest AreaCamp Site
  • Tarra Bulga Guest HouseGuest House
  • Information
  • Parking (2)
  • Picnic Table (2)
  • Public toilets

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Traralgon Creek (Yerang Park) Flora ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Yarram and District Health Service (18.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 9°
Rainfall
228 mm · ~28 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 5°
Rainfall
261 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
304 mm · ~38 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

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

  • July 2021

  • Buildings and works associated with construction of an outbuilding. Buildings and works associated with construction of an outbuilding.
    1859 GRAND RIDGE ROAD BALOOK 3971Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

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 · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Gippsland
Member of Parliament
Darren CHESTER (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
118,075
Turnout (2025)
92.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.2 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 69.4%Labor 30.6%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 21.9 km away).

Coalition 66.4%Labor 33.6%

3.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +2.9 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Traralgon SouthLabor 29.9% · Coalition 70.1% TPP (2025)13.9 km away
  • Devon NorthLabor 23.9% · Coalition 76.1% TPP (2025)14.7 km away
  • Churchill CentralLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)16.2 km away
  • ChurchillLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)16.7 km away
  • YarramLabor 26.1% · Coalition 73.9% TPP (2025)18.9 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Latrobe Council

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