VIC · East Gippsland Council

Lake Bunga, 3909

Est. population · Jun 2025

435

Growth (1 yr)

+0.5%

Growth (5 yr)

+4.1%

Median age

53

Median income

$1,101/wk

Employment rate

44.5%

University qualified

15.9%

Work from home

11.7%

Languages at home

5%non-English

Most common: Italian

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

36.4/100
Below average

1115th in VIC

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Rural living
What Lake Bunga is known for: Rural living

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Lake Bunga, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Lake Bunga, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/lake-bunga

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Suburb profile

Lake Bunga is a rural locality in Victoria, in East Gippsland Council.

Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 100% below the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities, and population growth is an exceptional strength. Trade-offs centre on lower school ICSEA scores and lower socio-economic advantage.

School ICSEA scores are the most material weakness.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Victoria (1828)

Strengths

  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Population growth is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places
  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Lake Bunga compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$280/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

435

+0.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

16.0%

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

#352

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

65th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

52nd

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

14%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

20th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

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
36.4/100 — Below average
National rank
5326th in Australia
State rank
1115th in VIC
Peer rank
#352 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#633 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
88%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

435(June 2025)

+0.5% annual · +4.1% over 5 years · 52th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.5%
5-year growth
+4.1%
Change in 1 year
+2
Change in 5 years
+17
Growth rank in VIC
52th 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 (~450), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
408
Median age
53
Median household income / week
$1,101
Dwelling vacancy
16%
Unoccupied private dwellings
32 of 200
Median monthly mortgage
$1,483
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$280
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
52.1% / 33.7% / 14.1%
Employment rate
44.5%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
11.7% / 0% / 75.3%
Walked or cycled to work
1.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
145 / 11 / 6 (+ 4 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

15.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 22.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified15.9% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified9.2% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational22.3% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below52.6% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Education19.4%
  • Engineering and related technologies14.9%
  • Society and culture13.1%
  • Health12%
  • Management and commerce12%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services10.9%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$43,858

9th percentile in VIC · -25% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$49,764

12th percentile in VIC · -23% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

35th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$74,221

42nd percentile in VIC · +17% vs Australia

Residents with business income
10.0%

30th percentile in VIC · -4% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3909 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
4,515
Taxpayers reporting net rent
503
Median net rent
$1,195
Taxpayers reporting business income
447
Taxable income vs state median
-18%
Salary / wages vs state median
-15%
Rental investment vs state median
-15%
Super vs state median
-8%
Business income vs state median
-9%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

5% speak a language other than English at home; 16.1% born overseas

Language at home
358 English only · 19 other
Non-English at home
5%
Born overseas
60 (16.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
3 (0.7%)
Australian citizens
366
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Italian4 · 100%

Religion

50%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 50%, while 39.2% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion39.2%38.8%
Christianity50%40.9%
Other / not stated10.8%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic21.3%20.5%
Anglican16.2%6.5%
Baptist2.9%1.3%
Uniting Church2.7%2.4%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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 (2026)
33
Against the person
7
Against property
13
Rate per 1,000 residents
75.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 58 residents
State crime-rate percentile
65.2th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+73.7%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
0
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
0

Most common offence types

  • A22 Assault Police, Emergency Services Or Other Authorised Officer2
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle4
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order6
  • A211 Fv Serious Assault2
  • A231 Fv Common Assault3

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
935
Median ICSEA percentile
20th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Toorloo Arm Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 935 · 20th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 129 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Lakes Entrance Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Lakes Entrance Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Toorloo Arm Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

2 mapped amenities

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)
  • Lakes Entrance - Lake Tyers Coastal Reserve (COM)Nature reserve
Other(1)
  • Bench

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
18.3%
Woodland / forest cover
18.3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
24°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (37.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
12
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.6

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
24° / 14°
Rainfall
187 mm · ~23 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 11°
Rainfall
190 mm · ~24 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
15° / 6°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 9°
Rainfall
218 mm · ~27 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

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).

13 planning-related records

2021· 7 proposals
  • July 2021

  • Buildings and works for a dwelling within the Bushfire Management Overlay
    130 GOLD RING ROAD LAKE BUNGA 3909Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • June 2021

  • Buildings and works for a verandah within a Design and Development Overlay
    4 VINCENT CRESCENT LAKE BUNGA 3909Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of a dwelling and outbuilding
    79 GOLD RING ROAD LAKE BUNGA 3909Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Two lot subdivision of land adjacent to a road in a Road Zone, Category 1
    106 OLD BUNGA ROAD LAKE BUNGA 3909Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • April 2021

  • Buildings and works for a dwelling within a Bushfire Management Overlay
    112 GOLD RING ROAD LAKE BUNGA 3909Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • February 2021

  • Development of a single storey dwelling within a Bushfire Management Overlay
    101 Gold Ring RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Buildings and works including earthworks for a dwelling
    93 Gold Ring RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 6 proposals
  • June 2020

  • Development of an outbuilding associated with a dwelling
    4 Chandlers RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • April 2020

  • Building and works associated with an outbuilding to a dwelling that cumulatively exceed 300m2
    105 Gold Ring RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • March 2020

  • Building and works associated with an outbuilding that exceed 300m2
    105 Gold Ring RoadWithdrawn
  • Building and works associated with a dwelling
    137 Gold Ring RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • February 2020

  • Development of a shed
    36 Campbell GrovePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of a dwelling
    127 Gold Ring RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Gippsland
Member of Parliament
Darren CHESTER (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
118,075
Turnout (2025)
92.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.2 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 69.4%Labor 30.6%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 28.1 km away).

Coalition 74.1%Labor 25.9%

4.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.5 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Toorloo ArmLabor 25.1% · Coalition 74.9% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
  • Lakes Entrance EastLabor 26.2% · Coalition 73.8% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
  • Lakes EntranceLabor 28.5% · Coalition 71.5% TPP (2025)4.8 km away
  • Nowa NowaLabor 22.9% · Coalition 77.1% TPP (2025)15.6 km away
  • MetungLabor 38.5% · Coalition 61.5% TPP (2025)16.2 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)
3/10
IRSD decile (2021)
3/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

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

More in East Gippsland Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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