suburb.guide

VIC · Ararat Council

Willaura, 3379

Current weather

8.1°CMainly clear

89% humidity · 24.2 km/h wind · 10.8° / 6.5° today · 7.9 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

29/100
Below average

1032nd in VIC

82% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • River access
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
What Willaura is known for: Green suburb, National parks, River access, Education hub, High desirability

Suburb profile

In Ararat, Willaura keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. Generous greenery runs through the area, from street trees to tucked-away reserves.

A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.

Homes are relatively affordable, which helps families and first-time residents put down roots. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in parks and green space and safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
439
Median age
53
Median household income / week
$976
Dwelling vacancy
22.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
55 of 243
Median monthly mortgage
$650
Employment rate
46.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
17 / 4 / 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)
29
Against the person
10
Against property
6
Rate per 1,000 residents
66.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 44 residents
State safety percentile
58.5th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-56.1%

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • A231 Fv Common Assault2
  • A721 Fv Harassment And Private Nuisance2
  • B21 Criminal Damage2
  • E13 Resist Or Hinder Officer3
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order8

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
1
Median school ICSEA
1,034
  • Willaura Primary SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Delacombe St/Main St
  • Willaura Kindergarten/Willaura-Wickliffe Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Planning & development

Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

5 planning-related records

2021· 2 proposals

  • July 2021

  • Replace an existing family persons workers cottage
    2994 MOYSTON-DUNKELD ROAD WILLAURA 3379Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • May 2021

  • Construction of a building and carry out works (partial demolition and alterations and additions)
    118 Mount William Estate RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 3 proposals

  • August 2020

  • Buildings and works for a machinery shed in Environmental Significance Overlay 3
    54 Blue Gum RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • July 2020

  • Building and Works for a Dwelling and Carport in Environmental Significance Overlay 3
    1006 Yarram Gap RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2020

  • Use and Development of the land for Residential Buildings
    44-50 Main StreetPermit 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

Parks & reserves

4 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Hopkins River, Willaura Streamside ReserveNature reserve
  • Lake Buninjon Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve
  • Lake Muirhead Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve
  • Mount William Swamp (The Big Swamp) Wildlife Reserve (hunting)Nature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
1
Emergency department
On site
  • East Grampians Health Servicehospital

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
2/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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

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)
174
Parks (OSM)
1

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
29.0/100 — Below average
National rank
5403rd in Australia
State rank
1032nd in VIC
Peer rank
#270 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#546 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
82%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • A231 Fv Common Assaultcrime2
  • A721 Fv Harassment And Private Nuisancecrime2
  • B21 Criminal Damagecrime2
  • E13 Resist Or Hinder Officercrime3
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Ordercrime8
  • East Grampians Health Servicehealthhospital
  • Hopkins River, Willaura Streamside Reservegovernmentnature_reserve
  • Lake Buninjon Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve
  • Lake Muirhead Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve
  • Mount William Swamp (The Big Swamp) Wildlife Reserve (hunting)governmentnature_reserve

Data sources & freshness

More in Ararat Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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