suburb.guide

VIC · Colac Otway Council

Colac, VIC, 3250

Current weather

12.8°CModerate drizzle

77% humidity · 23.2 km/h wind · 15.1° / 9.9° today · 5.9 mm rain

Desirability index

54.1/100

#119 among Coastal & beach suburbs

How this score is calculated

Suburb snapshot

Colac is a mid-sized suburb in the Colac Otway area, home to around 9,243 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 1,320 offences in 2026 with falling year-on-year trends (-13%), roughly 142.8 offences per 1,000 residents, 7 school and preschool sites in the area, strong public transport coverage with many Public Transport Victoria stops, 2 active roadworks or transport incidents on nearby routes, 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
9,243
Median age
44
Median household income / week
$1,108
Dwelling vacancy
9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
384 of 4,256
Median monthly mortgage
$1,213
Employment rate
52.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
303 / 488 / 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)
1,320
Against the person
201
Against property
600
Rate per 1,000 residents
142.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 46 residents
State safety percentile
85th (lower crime is better)
Year-on-year change
-13.1%

Most common offence types

  • B21 Criminal Damage98
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle82
  • B43 Steal From A Retail Store92
  • B49 Other Theft120
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order207

Data sources & freshness

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
7
Median school ICSEA (7 schools)
948
  • Colac Primary SchoolPrimary
  • Colac Secondary CollegeSecondary
  • Colac South West Primary SchoolPrimary
  • Colac West Primary SchoolPrimary
  • Lake Colac SchoolSpecial
  • St Mary's SchoolPrimary
  • Trinity College ColacSecondary

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

58 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Colac Railway Station
  • Colac Station
  • Colac Station/Gellibrand St
  • Colac Station/Gellibrand St
  • Polwarth St/Wallace St

Data sources & freshness

Roadworks & transport

2 active roadworks / incidents

  • Maintenance Works activities occurring between 10/01/2025 and 31/12/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM, Weekends 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Note that changed conditions may also be in place during 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Greater than 10 min.MURRAY STREET, MCLENNAN STREET09 Jan 2025 – 30 Dec 2026
  • Maintenance Works activities occurring between 10/01/2025 and 31/12/2026 during the following times: Weekdays 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM, Weekends 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Note that changed conditions may also be in place during 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Impact to traffic will be lanes closed multiple directions. Altered speed limit during operation will be 40 and the traffic delay is expected to be Greater than 10 min.MCLENNAN STREET, MURRAY STREET09 Jan 2025 – 30 Dec 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 PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

23 planning-related records

2021· 8 proposals

  • August 2021

  • Part Demolition, Extension and Alterations to Dwelling, and Constructi on of Outbuilding
    37 QUEEN STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Use of the Land as a Place of Assembly, Reduction in Car Parking Requi rements from the Specified Rate, Display of One Business Identification Sign and External Alterations to Building
    51-57 DENNIS STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Staged Subdivision of Land into Seven (7) Lots
    43-59 BRUCE STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • May 2021

  • Two (2) Lot Subdivision
    40-42 BALNAGOWAN AVENUE COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2021

  • Staged Seven (7) Lot Subdivision of Land Including the Creation of Com mon Property and an Easement (E-2 Drainage)
    120-126 JENNINGS STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Two (2) Lot Subdivision
    65 Campbell StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2021

  • Display of Three Business Identification Signs
    91-97 POUND ROAD COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • February 2021

  • Subdivision of the Land into Two (2) Lots
    108 Hart StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 15 proposals

  • December 2020

  • Construction of Two (2) Dwellings on a Lot and Associated Works
    4 TAYLOR COURT COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Use and Development of the Land for a Medical Centre and Display of Th ree Business Identification Signs
    28 HART STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • November 2020

  • Display of Business Identification Signage and Internally Illuminated Sign (Retrospective)
    208 MURRAY STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • October 2020

  • Development of Thirty-Six (36) Dwellings (Twelve (12) Existing) and th e Subdivision of Land to Create Four (4) Residential Allotments on Land covered by a Heritage Overlay and Reduction in Car Parking
    17 Balnagowan AvenueLapsed
  • Use of Land for the Sale and Consumption of Liquor (Restaurant and Café Licence)
    9/140 Bromfield StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • August 2020

  • Subdivision of Land into Three (3) Lots, Creation of 3 Units and Creation of Access from Selwood Street
    98A Wilson StreetWithdrawn
  • Construction of Eight (8) Dwellings and Nine (9) Lot Staged Subdivision
    62 Hart StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Building and Works Comprising Extension and Alterations to Medical Cen tre and Reduction in Parking from the Specified Rate (2 Spaces)
    42 Hart StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2020

  • Use and Development of a Service Station and Car Wash, Construction of Five (5) Convenience Restaurant/Takeaway Food Premises, Reduction of Bicycle Requirements, Display of Internally Illuminated and Non-Illuminated Business Identification Signage, and Creation and Alteration of Access to a Road in a Road Zone Category 1
    309-315 Murray StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • May 2020

  • Use of 21 Hart Street in Association with Childcare Centre at 23-27 Ha rt Street and Construction of Connecting Extension Between Buildings
    21 Hart StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Building and Works Comprising Alteration to Building Facade and Displa y of Business Identification Signage
    191-195 Murray StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of Warehouse, Reduction in Parking from the Specified Rat e, Creation of Carriageway Easement on Lot 2 PS 515111V (V/F: 10757/610) and Variation of Easement E-4 (Sewerage) on PC: 365138 (V/F: 10794/135)
    90-98 WALLACE STREET COLAC 3250Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2020

  • Building and Works Comprising Extension to Shop and Reduction in Parki ng from Specified Standard (Two Spaces)
    174 Hearn StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Building and Works Associated with Pergola Extension to Dwelling
    69A Murray StreetPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • February 2020

  • Subdivision of the Land into Twenty Six (26) Lots and Associated Works
    54-72 TALBOT STREET COLAC 3250Permit 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

13 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Ball Street ParkPark
  • Donaldson Street ParkPark
  • Eastern ReservePark
  • Hugh Murray ReservePark
  • Inglis Court ParkPark
  • Lake Colac Bird SanctuaryNature reserve
  • Lawrence Court ParkPark
  • Memorial SquarePark
  • Newcombe Estate ParkPark
  • Robertson Street ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
8
Emergency department
On site
  • Chinese MedicineHesse Streetalternative
  • Colac Area HealthConnor Streethospital
  • Colac PharmacyMurray Streetpharmacy
  • Corangamite ClinicMiller Streetclinic
  • Frankly HealingHesse Streetalternative
  • Purely DentalMiller Streetdentist
  • Theodore Podiatry GroupConnor Streetpodiatrist
  • Vision RadiologyBromfield Streetdoctor

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

2 state heritage places

  • COLAC BOTANIC GARDENSNH2259
  • FORMER ADAM REA'S STORENH0433

Data sources & freshness

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

Childcare

3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap

  • Colac East Kindergartenkindergarten
  • Millville Children’s CentreHart Streetchildcare
  • Wydinia Kinderkindergarten

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

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)
18
Parks (OSM)
13

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
54.1/100
Cohort rank
#119 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

  • Colac East Kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
  • Millville Children’s CentrechildcareHart Streetchildcare
  • Wydinia Kinderchildcarekindergarten
  • COLAC BOTANIC GARDENSheritageNH2259
  • FORMER ADAM REA'S STOREheritageNH0433
  • Chinese MedicinehealthHesse Streetalternative
  • Colac Area HealthhealthConnor Streethospital
  • Colac PharmacyhealthMurray Streetpharmacy
  • Corangamite ClinichealthMiller Streetclinic
  • Frankly HealinghealthHesse Streetalternative

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
  • Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site

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