VIC · East Gippsland Council

Buchan South, 3885

Est. population · Jun 2025

100

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.0%

Median age

46

Median income

$1,187/wk

Employment rate

70.9%

University qualified

15.5%

Work from home

25%

Languages at home

4.8%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Agricultural
  • Green suburb
  • Rural living
What Buchan South is known for: Agricultural, Green suburb, Rural living

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Buchan South, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Buchan South, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/buchan-south

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Suburb profile

Buchan South is a rural locality in Victoria, in East Gippsland Council.

Everyday destinations are relatively walkable, well above typical levels for rural localities. Local amenities is an exceptional strength. Open-space access is exceptionally strong. Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median.

Overall, Buchan South suits people prioritising open space and walkability over socio-economic advantage.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Victoria (1828)

Strengths

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Everyday destinations are relatively walkable
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Buchan South compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$125/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

100

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

17.0%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

47th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

69th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

0%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

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

Population

Estimated resident population

100(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +2.0% over 5 years · 69th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+2.0%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+2
Growth rank in VIC
69th 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 (~100), extrapolated at -0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
102
Median age
46
Median household income / week
$1,187
Dwelling vacancy
17%
Unoccupied private dwellings
9 of 53
Median monthly mortgage
$1,677
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$125
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
69.2% / 30.8% / 0%
Employment rate
70.9%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
25% / 0% / 50%
Walked or cycled to work
6.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
47 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

15.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 27.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified15.5% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified7.1% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational27.4% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below50% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce19.4%
  • Education13.9%
  • Engineering and related technologies13.9%
  • Health13.9%
  • Architecture and building11.1%
  • Society and culture11.1%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$46,941

21st percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$51,972

19th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

38th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$75,734

44th percentile in VIC · +20% vs Australia

Residents with business income
16.0%

90th percentile in VIC · +54% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3885 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
1,139
Taxpayers reporting net rent
121
Median net rent
$425
Taxpayers reporting business income
180
Taxable income vs state median
-12%
Salary / wages vs state median
-11%
Rental investment vs state median
-15%
Super vs state median
-6%
Business income vs state median
+46%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Seasonal & agricultural work

40.6% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 17.7× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.1% across Victoria.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
40.6%

85th percentile in VIC · +1665% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
26
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 3885

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers24

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 3885 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Latrobe - Gippsland (SA4 205), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12135,481
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415940
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212417
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214382
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211370
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412228
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419184
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 8413112
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841624
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

Latrobe - Gippsland is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 64 · AFF share +1833% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

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

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

4.8% speak a language other than English at home

Language at home
100 English only · 5 other
Non-English at home
4.8%
Born overseas
0 (0%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
3 (2.9%)
Australian citizens
99

Religion

58.8%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 58.8%, while Christianity accounts for 36.3%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion58.8%38.8%
Christianity36.3%40.9%
Other / not stated4.9%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic14.7%20.5%
Anglican13.7%6.5%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Crime & safety

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
5
Against the person
1
Against property
2
Rate per 1,000 residents
50
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 102 residents
State crime-rate percentile
46.8th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-64.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
16
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
160

Most common offence types

  • B321 Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary1
  • D23 Offensive Conduct1
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order1
  • A231 Fv Common Assault1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

School list
School catchments
  • Bruthen Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Buchan Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Lakes Entrance Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Newmerella Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Orbost Community CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Swifts Creek P-12 SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

  • Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Quire Rd/Buchan Rd
  • Quire Rd/Buchan South Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

6 mapped amenities

1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 2 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
19.61
Sport & outdoors(5)
  • Boggy Creek Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
  • Buchan Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Cutfinger Education AreaNature reserve
  • Kanni Flora ReserveNature reserve
  • Mottle Range Flora ReserveNature reserve
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Stonehenge Farmstay Camping GroundCampground

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

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

Sporting clubs

1 named sporting club in this suburb

  • Buchan Valley Golf Club

    Golf

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

5 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Boggy Creek Nature Conservation ReserveNature reserve
  • Buchan Bushland ReserveNature reserve
  • Buchan South Vege GardenPark
  • Cutfinger Education AreaNature reserve
  • Yellow WaterholesPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0.6%
Woodland / forest cover
0.6%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
7
Parks (OSM)
2
Typical summer maximum
24°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Orbost Regional Health (35.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
3
Participants per 1,000 residents
30.0

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

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
24° / 14°
Rainfall
187 mm · ~23 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 11°
Rainfall
190 mm · ~24 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
15° / 6°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 9°
Rainfall
218 mm · ~27 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

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).

3 planning-related records

2020· 3 proposals
  • September 2020

  • Buildings and works for an agricultural outbuilding
    224 Estcourts RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • August 2020

  • Development of a replacement agricultural shed
    3626 Buchan-Orbost RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • January 2020

  • Development of a shelter shed associated with a place of assembly
    2063 Bruthen-Buchan RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood 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 37.9 km away).

Coalition 73.1%Labor 26.9%

3.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +1.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • BuchanLabor 28.8% · Coalition 71.2% TPP (2025)10.6 km away
  • Nowa NowaLabor 22.9% · Coalition 77.1% TPP (2025)20.4 km away
  • BruthenLabor 30.4% · Coalition 69.6% TPP (2025)28.1 km away
  • Toorloo ArmLabor 25.1% · Coalition 74.9% TPP (2025)34.0 km away
  • Lakes Entrance EastLabor 26.2% · Coalition 73.8% TPP (2025)36.5 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)
3/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in East Gippsland Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.