suburb.guide

VIC · Cardinia Council

Officer South, 3809

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,138

Growth (1 yr)

+5.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+34.0%

Median age

31

Median income

$2,085/wk

Employment rate

66.8%

University qualified

28.9%

Work from home

24.5%

Median house price · 4th Quarter 2025

$890,000

Languages at home

26.8%non-English

Most common: Punjabi, Sinhalese, Tamil

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

42.4/100
Average

866th in VIC

Verified 88% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Hills
  • Outer suburban
What Officer South is known for: Hills, Outer suburban

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Officer South, VIC suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Officer South, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/officer-south

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Suburb profile

Officer South is an outer metropolitan suburb of Melbourne, in Cardinia Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs. Population has been growing faster than in comparable places. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The clearer weaknesses are thinner mapped green cover within the suburb boundary, limited amenity for the price and more mapped flood cover, with green cover 71% below the peer median.

Officer South's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.

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

Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in Victoria (148)

Strengths

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Population has been growing faster than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Mapped green cover within the suburb boundary is below comparable suburbs
  • Buyers pay a premium despite relatively limited amenity access
  • A larger share of the suburb sits in mapped inundation than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Overseas-born and multilingual community
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Officer South compares

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

Median house price

$890k

+18% change

Median rent (Census)

$393/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

1,138

+5.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

2.6%

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

#105

among Metro Melbourne · Growth area

Crime rate

47th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

97th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

7%

2021 Census tenure

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
42.4/100 — Average
National rank
3789th in Australia
State rank
866th in VIC
Peer rank
#105 among Metro Melbourne · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#311 among Metro Melbourne suburbs
Data confidence
88%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

Median house price (4th Quarter 2025)
$890,000
Median price change
+17.9%

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

1,138(June 2025)

+5.1% annual · +34.0% over 5 years · 97th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+5.1%
5-year growth
+34.0%
Change in 1 year
+55
Change in 5 years
+289
Growth rank in VIC
97th 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 (~1,450), extrapolated at +4.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,159
Median age
31
Median household income / week
$2,085
Dwelling vacancy
2.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
12 of 467
Median monthly mortgage
$2,200
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$393
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
29.6% / 63.4% / 7.1%
Employment rate
66.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
24.5% / 0.7% / 59.2%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
353 / 99 / 0

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

28.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 18.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified28.9% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified12.5% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational18.8% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below39.8% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce21.9%
  • Engineering and related technologies17%
  • Health13.9%
  • Education12.5%
  • Society and culture10.7%
  • Architecture and building7.2%
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)
$63,206

84th percentile in VIC · +8% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$69,022

85th percentile in VIC · +6% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

34th percentile in VIC · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$49,924

13th percentile in VIC · -21% vs Australia

Residents with business income
13.0%

69th percentile in VIC · +25% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3809 — 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
15,677
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,713
Median net rent
-$7,264
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,073
Taxable income vs state median
+18%
Salary / wages vs state median
+18%
Rental investment vs state median
-15%
Super vs state median
-38%
Business income vs state median
+18%

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

26.8% speak a language other than English at home; 33% born overseas

Language at home
816 English only · 298 other
Non-English at home
26.8%
Born overseas
372 (33%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
4 (0.3%)
Australian citizens
1,022
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
15

Top languages other than English

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

  • Punjabi32 · 25.2%
  • Sinhalese26 · 20.5%
  • Tamil13 · 10.2%
  • Hindi8 · 6.3%
  • Spanish7 · 5.5%
  • Urdu7 · 5.5%
  • Samoan5 · 3.9%
  • Arabic4 · 3.1%

Religion

42.9%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 42.9%, while 35.5% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion35.5%38.8%
Christianity42.9%40.9%
Hinduism3.8%3.3%
Islam3%4.2%
Buddhism5.1%3.1%
Other / not stated9.7%9.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic19.2%20.5%
Anglican7.3%6.5%
Christian (not further defined)4.1%2.5%
Pentecostal2.3%0.8%

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)
57
Against the person
10
Against property
36
Rate per 1,000 residents
50.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 116 residents
State crime-rate percentile
47.2th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+35.7%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
30
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
26.36

Most common offence types

  • A231 Fv Common Assault7
  • B21 Criminal Damage5
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle7
  • B49 Other Theft12
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order9

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

School list
School catchments
  • Bridgewood Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Cardinia Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Edenbrook Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Grayling Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • John Henry Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Kurrun Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Officer Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Pakenham Springs Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Topirum Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Wulerrp Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

  • Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published

Public transport

3 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Kaduna Park Playground/Centenary Bvd
  • Trawalla St/Centenary Bvd
  • Waikerie Prom/Centenary Bvd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

6 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 10 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
5/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
8.63
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Park (2)
Other(2)
  • Garden (3)
  • Lifestyle Communities Kaduna ParkSocial Facility

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

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Kaduna ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
2.1%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
10
Typical summer maximum
25°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
St Germain Health and Wellness Precinct (5.5 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)
44
Participants per 1,000 residents
38.7

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
25° / 12°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 9°
Rainfall
228 mm · ~28 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 5°
Rainfall
261 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
304 mm · ~38 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).

23 planning-related records

2021· 4 proposals

  • April 2021

  • Use and Development of Helicopter Landing Site and Shed (Hanger)
    290 OFFICER SOUTH ROAD OFFICER SOUTH 3809NOD issued by a delegate

  • March 2021

  • Planning permit to build new residental home
    91 Centenary BoulevardWithdrawn
  • Subdivision of land, buildings and works and removal of existing waterbodies
    295-325 CARDINIA ROAD OFFICER SOUTH 3809Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of land for 9 dwellings, associated subdivision and reduction of car parking
    CENTENARY BOULEVARD OFFICER SOUTH 3809Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 19 proposals

  • December 2020

  • Subdivision of land, buildings and works and, removal of existing waterbodies
    CARDINIA ROAD OFFICER SOUTH 3809Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    68 Mortlake DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • November 2020

  • Use and development of the land for a display village, reduction of car parking and associated signage
    BERRI AVENUE OFFICER SOUTH 3809Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • October 2020

  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    62 Mortlake DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • September 2020

  • Subdivision of land
    CARDINIA ROAD OFFICER SOUTH 3809Permit issued by the RA

  • July 2020

  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    72 Mortlake DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of six dwellings on six lots
    Centenary BoulevardPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2020

  • Buildings and works associated with the construction of a supermarket and associated retail, office, medical centre, and food and drink premises.
    CARDINIA ROAD OFFICER SOUTH 3809In progress

  • April 2020

  • Construction of dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    66 Mortlake DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2020

  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    36 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    40 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    46 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    42 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    38 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    34 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    44 Kaduna DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Subdivision of land
    Centenary BoulevardPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm
    70 Mortlake DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • January 2020

  • Construction of a dwelling on a lot less than 350sqm.
    74 Mortlake DrivePermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
21% of 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
La Trobe
Member of Parliament
Jason WOOD (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
115,425
Turnout (2025)
93.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+6.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 52.1%Labor 47.9%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 5.9 km away).

Coalition 47.5%Labor 52.5%

4.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.6 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Officer CentralLabor 53.3% · Coalition 46.7% TPP (2025)3.5 km away
  • Pakenham ShearwaterLabor 54.5% · Coalition 45.5% TPP (2025)4.2 km away
  • Pakenham SpringsLabor 51.1% · Coalition 48.9% TPP (2025)4.5 km away
  • Clyde North EastLabor 50.9% · Coalition 49.1% TPP (2025)4.7 km away
  • Pakenham WestLabor 53.9% · Coalition 46.1% TPP (2025)5.5 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)
10/10

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 Cardinia Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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