VIC · Cardinia Council
Garfield North, 3814
Current weather
10.9°CRain showers
93% humidity · 30.4 km/h wind · 12.1° / 9.9° today · 16.7 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Garfield North offers a slower smaller community life in Cardinia, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Housing is well-priced for what you get: space, location and everyday convenience.
Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and parks and green space lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in safety and housing affordability. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 236
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $1,713
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 6 of 78
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,152
- Employment rate
- 60%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 0 / 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 · 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)
- 11
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 46.6
- State safety percentile
- 43.5th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -65.6%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- B21 Criminal Damage2
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theft1
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
- E21 Breach Family Violence Order7
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Year ending March release
Planning & development
Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).
17 planning-related records
2021· 9 proposals
August 2021
- Use of the land for a Dependent Person's Unit Buildings and works associated with a Dwelling and Dependent Person's Unit175 GARFIELD NORTH ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Buildings and works associated with a dwelling extension and three (3) buildings associated with agriculture95 SANDERS ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of the land for a shed associated with agriculture and the removal of vegetation497 GARFIELD NORTH ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2021
- Use of the land for a Dependent Person's Unit130 BASSED ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2021
- Buildings and works associated with the construction of two (2) outbuildings135 Old Sale RoadWithdrawn
May 2021
- Removal of vegetation (five trees, including one native tree)335 Garfield North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2021
- Buildings and works associated with an outbuilding135 OLD SALE ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Removal of vegetation (Cypress pines)70 BASSED ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
January 2021
- Removal of vegetation (Pinus radiata and White Poplar)300 Garfield North Rd, Garfield North Rd & Tynong North Road (Road Reserves)Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 8 proposals
November 2020
- Development of the land for multiple sheds associated with agriculture220 Garfield North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of the land for a dwelling35 Bassed RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
October 2020
- Development of the land for two (2) outbuildings (storage shed and garaport)165 Sanders RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
July 2020
- Development of the land for alterations and additions to an existing dwelling, and removal of native vegetation25 Wallaby CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
June 2020
- Development of the land for an outbuildings (shed)205 Old Sale RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
April 2020
- Development of the land for a shed associated with agriculture175 Garfield North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
March 2020
- two (2) lot boundary realignment, use and development of the land for a dwelling and removal of vegetation545 Garfield North RoadWithdrawn
February 2020
- Development of a Shed35 Wollondilly RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- PPARS planning permit activity (statewide) — Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria) · Period: 2020–2022 · 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.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
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 · Period: current · Updated on site
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 38.8/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3684th in Australia
- State rank
- 708th in VIC
- Peer rank
- #117 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #287 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 62%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- B21 Criminal Damagecrime2
- B41 Motor Vehicle Theftcrime1
- B42 Steal From A Motor Vehiclecrime1
- E21 Breach Family Violence Ordercrime7
- Buildings and works associated with a dwelling extension and three (3) buildings associated with agricultureplanning95 SANDERS ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Lodged 23 Aug 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Buildings and works associated with an outbuildingplanning135 OLD SALE ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Lodged 04 Mar 2021 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Buildings and works associated with the construction of two (2) outbuildingsplanning135 Old Sale RoadLodged 15 Jun 2021 · Withdrawn
- Development of a Shedplanning35 Wollondilly RoadLodged 21 Feb 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of the land for a dwellingplanning35 Bassed RoadLodged 17 Nov 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
- Development of the land for a shed associated with agricultureplanning175 Garfield North RoadLodged 21 Apr 2020 · Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
Data sources & freshness
- Recorded offences by suburb/town — Crime Statistics Agency (Victoria) · Updated on site · Year ending March release
- 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
More in Cardinia Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.