suburb.guide

VIC · Colac Otway Council

Grey River, 3234

Est. population · Jun 2025

4

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

61

Median income

$2,999/wk

Employment rate

33.3%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • River access
What Grey River is known for: River access

Suburb profile

Grey River offers a slower smaller community life in Colac Otway Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub.

Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, 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. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.

Crime reports are up on the previous period. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

At a glance

Grey River snapshot

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

4

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

61.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

97th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

19th

percentile in VIC

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

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

4(June 2025)

0.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 19th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in VIC
19th 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 (~0), extrapolated at +2.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4
Median age
61
Median household income / week
$2,999
Dwelling vacancy
61.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
8 of 13
Median monthly mortgage
$0
Employment rate
33.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
3 / 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 increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2023)
2
Against the person
2
Against property
0
Rate per 1,000 residents
500
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 2 residents
State safety percentile
97.4th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+100%

Most common offence types

  • A81 Dangerous Driving1
  • A89 Other Dangerous Or Negligent Acts Endangering People1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

5 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 swimming pools

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
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Swimming pool
Entertainment(2)
  • Cape Patton LookoutViewpoint
  • Carisbrook Falls LookoutViewpoint
Other(1)
  • Parking (2)

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)
2
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
Otway Health & Community Services Apollo Bay (15.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

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
20° / 12°
Rainfall
184 mm · ~23 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
17° / 11°
Rainfall
265 mm · ~33 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
12° / 7°
Rainfall
385 mm · ~48 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
15° / 9°
Rainfall
320 mm · ~40 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).

1 planning-related records

2020· 1 proposal

  • April 2020

  • Use and Development of a Dwelling and Associated Works, Removal of Veg etation and Creation of Access to a Road in a Road Zone, Category 1
    17 Great Ocean RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

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
Wannon
Member of Parliament
Dan TEHAN (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
121,788
Turnout (2025)
94.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-2.3 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 60.9%Labor 39.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 38.9 km away).

Coalition 41.0%Labor 59.0%

19.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +59.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Apollo BayLabor 59.8% · Coalition 40.2% TPP (2025)15.9 km away
  • ForrestLabor 64.5% · Coalition 35.5% TPP (2025)20.5 km away
  • LorneLabor 52.1% · Coalition 47.9% TPP (2025)21.1 km away
  • Gellibrand RiverLabor 53.3% · Coalition 46.7% TPP (2025)30.7 km away
  • Deans MarshLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)32.3 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)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

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

More in Colac Otway Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.