suburb.guide

VIC · Colac Otway Council

Kennett River, 3234

Est. population · Jun 2025

73

Growth (1 yr)

+1.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+1.4%

Median age

41

Median income

$1,812/wk

Employment rate

58.9%

Languages at home

6.5%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • River access
  • Excellent transport
What Kennett River is known for: River access, Excellent transport

Suburb profile

In Colac Otway Council, Kennett River keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. It sits well away from Melbourne, trading metro convenience for space and a slower regional pace. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with a strong presence of young families throughout.

Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area.

Housing is expensive relative to much of the state.

At a glance

Kennett River snapshot

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

73

+1.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

80.0%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

78th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

80th

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

73(June 2025)

+1.4% annual · +1.4% over 5 years · 80th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
+1.4%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+1
Growth rank in VIC
80th 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 +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
74
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$1,812
Dwelling vacancy
80%
Unoccupied private dwellings
116 of 145
Median monthly mortgage
$1,387
Employment rate
58.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
22 / 0 / 0 (+ 3 other)

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 are unchanged compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
8
Against the person
4
Against property
2
Rate per 1,000 residents
109.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 18 residents
State safety percentile
77.7th (lower crime is better)
No change (daily rate)
0%

Most common offence types

  • A232 Non-Fv Common Assault2
  • A732 Non-Fv Threatening Behaviour1
  • B21 Criminal Damage1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle1
  • Other Crimes Against The Person1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Grey River Rd/Hawdon Ave
  • Hawdon Ave/Great Ocean Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

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 (17.7 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)
1
Participants per 1,000 residents
13.7

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
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

  • July 2020

  • Use and Development of the Land for a Dwelling and Associated Works
    290 Kennett 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 36.6 km away).

Coalition 40.8%Labor 59.2%

20.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +59.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • ForrestLabor 64.5% · Coalition 35.5% TPP (2025)15.6 km away
  • Apollo BayLabor 59.8% · Coalition 40.2% TPP (2025)17.6 km away
  • LorneLabor 52.1% · Coalition 47.9% TPP (2025)18.7 km away
  • Gellibrand RiverLabor 53.3% · Coalition 46.7% TPP (2025)26.9 km away
  • Deans MarshLabor 62.6% · Coalition 37.4% TPP (2025)27.9 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.