suburb.guide

VIC · Golden Plains Council

Cambrian Hill, 3352

Est. population · Jun 2025

299

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.4%

Median age

39

Median income

$2,042/wk

Employment rate

69.8%

Languages at home

1.8%non-English

Most common: Japanese

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

41.7/100
Average

689th in VIC

Verified 62% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Heritage area
  • High desirability
What Cambrian Hill is known for: Heritage area, High desirability

Suburb profile

In Golden Plains Council, Cambrian Hill keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with family life visible on every street. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting.

Open space is thinner than in many regional towns, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium.

Reported crime has been falling recently. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

The desirability picture is around average, weighed down by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Cambrian Hill snapshot

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

299

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

6.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#59

among Country & regional · Established

Safety

25th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

10th

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
41.7/100 — Average
National rank
3457th in Australia
State rank
689th in VIC
Peer rank
#59 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#249 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
62%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

299(June 2025)

0.0% annual · +2.4% over 5 years · 10th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
+2.4%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
+7
Growth rank in VIC
10th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
292
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$2,042
Dwelling vacancy
6.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
6 of 98
Median monthly mortgage
$1,742
Employment rate
69.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
92 / 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 decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
9
Against the person
0
Against property
9
Rate per 1,000 residents
30.1
State safety percentile
24.8th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-40%

Most common offence types

  • B11 Cause Damage By Fire2
  • B21 Criminal Damage2
  • B322 Non-Residential Non-Aggravated Burglary1
  • B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle2

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Other(1)
  • Track

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

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
1
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

Health access

Nearest hospital
Queen Elizabeth Centre (8.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
9
Participants per 1,000 residents
30.1

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
26° / 12°
Rainfall
128 mm · ~16 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
124 mm · ~16 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 6°
Rainfall
149 mm · ~19 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
182 mm · ~23 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).

9 planning-related records

2021· 3 proposals

  • September 2021

  • Subdivision of land into two (2) lots (boundary realignment) under clause 32.03-3 (LDRZ) and clause 43.02-3 (DDO)
    5118 COLAC-BALLARAT ROAD AND 7 GLASSONS ROAD CAMBRIAN HILL 3352Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of an outbuilding (shed) with dimensions greater than specified under clause 43.02-2 (DDO)
    155 SCHOOL LANE CAMBRIAN HILL 3352In progress

  • May 2021

  • Construction of a building (shed) greater than the dimensions specified in the schedule under clause 43.02-2 (DDO)
    175 School LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 6 proposals

  • December 2020

  • Use of the land for domestic animal husbandry (keeping of 10 dogs) under clause 35.08-1 (RAZ) and buildings and works associated with a section 2 use under clause 35.08-4 (RAZ)
    42 Brays RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • November 2020

  • The use and development of the land for the purposes of domestic animal husbandry (keeping and breeding of 5 dogs) pursuant to the provisions of the RLZ (Clauses 35.03-1 & 35.03-4)
    46 O'Farrell CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • August 2020

  • The development of the land for the purposes of an agricultural shed
    173 Heinzs RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2020

  • The use of the land for the purposes of an art and craft centre
    64 School LanePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2020

  • The development of the land for a shed
    195 LACYS ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2020

  • The development of the land for a dwelling
    206 BRAYS ROADPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • FORMER BLACK LEAD UNITING CHURCHNH2173

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

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 · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Ballarat
Member of Parliament
Catherine KING (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
116,238
Turnout (2025)
93.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 39.3%Labor 60.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 6.4 km away).

Coalition 36.6%Labor 63.4%

2.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -1.4 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • MagpieLabor 62.0% · Coalition 38.0% TPP (2025)3.3 km away
  • NapoleonsLabor 60.1% · Coalition 39.9% TPP (2025)4.7 km away
  • SebastopolLabor 69.5% · Coalition 30.5% TPP (2025)4.8 km away
  • Ross CreekLabor 53.5% · Coalition 46.5% TPP (2025)5.3 km away
  • Mount ClearLabor 67.0% · Coalition 33.0% TPP (2025)5.5 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)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
8/10

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

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Golden Plains Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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