VIC · East Gippsland Council
Buchan, VIC, 3885
Current weather
12.7°COvercast
64% humidity · 13.5 km/h wind · 16.5° / 9.3° today · 5.3 mm rain
Desirability index
#251 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Buchan is a small locality in the East Gippsland area, home to around 201 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 20 offences in 2026 with rising year-on-year trends (+400%), roughly 99.5 offences per 1,000 residents, 1 school and preschool site in the area, limited but present public transport access, and notable planning and development activity on record. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb and hospitals or GP clinics within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 201
- Median age
- 54
- Median household income / week
- $1,083
- Dwelling vacancy
- 29.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 32 of 109
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,000
- Employment rate
- 51.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 5 / 0 / 0
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)
- 20
- Against the person
- 1
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 99.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 201 residents
- State safety percentile
- 75.5th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- +400%
Most common offence types
- A231 Fv Common Assault1
- B21 Criminal Damage1
- C32 Drug Possession2
- D11 Firearms Offences10
- D13 Explosives Offences3
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Year ending March release
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,017
- Buchan Primary SchoolPrimary
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
1 public transport stops in this suburb
- Buchan - Orbost Rd/Buchan Rd
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
10 planning-related records
2021· 1 proposal
May 2021
- Use and Development of a Dwelling5553 BUCHAN-ORBOST ROAD BUCHAN 3885Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 9 proposals
December 2020
- Buildings and Works for a replacement dwelling within a Bushfire Management Overlay1275 Basin RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
October 2020
- Buildings and works for an outbuilding within a Bushfire Management Overlay454 Gelantipy RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of a replacement dwelling and agricultural shed1071 Basin RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
September 2020
- Development of a replacement agricultural shed74 Lanes RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
August 2020
- Buildings and works for a replacement dwelling226 Moons RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of a replacement farm shed in a road zone setback2 Anderson StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2020
- Buildings and works for a dwelling reconstruction187 Old Buchan RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2020
- Development of kennels associated with an existing domestic animal husbandry use2378 Bruthen-Buchan RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
May 2020
- Development of a farm shed1275 Basin RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Period: 2020; 2020–2022; 2021 · 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.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
5 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Dicksons Cave ReserveNature reserve
- Murrindal Flora ReserveNature reserve
- Slocombes Cave ReserveNature reserve
- Timbarra River South Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
- Wyatts ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 1
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Buchan Bush Nursingnurse
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
2 state heritage places
- BUCHAN CAVES RESERVENH1978
- MURRINDAL RIVER TRUSS BRIDGENH2311
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- United - Buchan Early Learningchildcare
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 67
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 4.0/100
- Cohort rank
- #251 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- United - Buchan Early Learningchildcarechildcare
- BUCHAN CAVES RESERVEheritageNH1978
- MURRINDAL RIVER TRUSS BRIDGEheritageNH2311
- Buchan Bush Nursinghealthnurse
- Dicksons Cave Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Murrindal Flora Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Slocombes Cave Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Timbarra River South Nature Conservation Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Wyatts Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
- Buildings and Works for a replacement dwelling within a Bushfire Management Overlayplanning1275 Basin RoadLodged 01 Dec 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · 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
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