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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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Sales Activity
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Population
West Wimmera has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch
West Wimmera's population is approximately 2,656 as of May 2026. This figure represents a decrease of 110 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,766. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,656 in June 2025 and an additional two validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 0.50 persons per square kilometer. West Wimmera's population decline of 4.0% since the census is within 2.4 percentage points of the SA3 area's decline (-1.6%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.
AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to these projections, West Wimmera's population is expected to contract by 844 persons by 2041.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in West Wimmera is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
West Wimmera has had minimal residential development activity with an average of 2 dwelling approvals annually over the past five years (totaling 13). This low level of development is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and limited construction activity influenced by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that the small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.
West Wimmera has shown less construction activity than Rest of Vic., with development levels also below national averages. All new constructions have been detached dwellings, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 718 people, reflecting the area's quiet, low activity development environment. Population projections indicate stability or decline in West Wimmera, suggesting reduced housing demand pressures that could benefit potential buyers.
With population projections showing stability or decline, West Wimmera should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around West Wimmera
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
West Wimmera has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 48thth percentile nationally
No factors influence a region's performance more than alterations to its local infrastructure, significant projects, and strategic planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are expected to impact this area. Notable projects include the Lower Limestone Coast Water Allocation Plan, Limestone Coast Energy Park, Melbourne-Adelaide Freight Rail Enhancements, and Victorian Renewable Energy Zones. The following list details those projected to be most pertinent.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
SA Water Capital Work Delivery Contracts 2024-28
SA Water's record $3.3 billion capital delivery program for the 2024-28 regulatory period, covering water and wastewater infrastructure across South Australia. The program targets water main replacements, sewerage network upgrades, dam upgrades, water tank refurbishments, and treatment process upgrades across metropolitan and regional areas. A central $1.5 billion component supports the South Australian Premier's Housing Roadmap, expanding network capacity to unlock up to 40,000 new allotments, with major focus on Adelaide's northern growth corridors including Angle Vale, Riverlea, and Roseworthy. Six major framework partners (Fulton Hogan Utilities, John Holland and Guidera O'Connor JV, McConnell Dowell and Diona JV, BMD, Diona, and Leed Engineering and Construction) are delivering works across approximately 120 projects. In Year 1 (to June 2025), $681.6 million in capital was invested. The program runs to June 2028.
Mildura Passenger Rail Return
Long-running advocacy and planning initiative to reinstate passenger rail services between Mildura and Melbourne, restoring a connection that ended in 1993. Mildura remains the largest Victorian regional centre without a passenger rail link. The current focus, as of 2026, has shifted to a staged 'Rails to Recovery' concept circulated by the Rail Revival Alliance Victoria, proposing a standard-gauge locomotive-hauled shuttle between Mildura and Maryborough, connecting with the existing V/Line VLocity service to Melbourne via Ballarat. Two active Victorian Parliament petitions are pushing for the trial: a Legislative Assembly e-petition closing 10 May 2026 and Legislative Council Petition #730 closing 28 February 2026. Mildura MP Jade Benham has renewed parliamentary calls and is meeting rail stakeholders to identify practical pathways. Mildura Rural City Council continues to advocate for the project under its Mildura Future Ready strategy. Significant infrastructure considerations remain, including upgrades at around 145 level crossings, rolling stock provisioning, and operating model. The Victorian Government has not committed funding for delivery as of early 2026.
Victorian Renewable Energy Zones
The Victorian Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) represent a strategic 15-year roadmap to upgrade the state electricity grid as it transitions from coal to renewable energy. Managed by VicGrid, the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan identifies six onshore zones (Central Highlands, Central North, Gippsland, North-West, South-West, and Western/Grampians) and a Gippsland Shoreline zone for offshore wind. The plan coordinates the connection of approximately 25GW of new solar, wind, and storage capacity by 2035, requiring nearly 800km of transmission upgrades. As of early 2026, VicGrid is finalizing the declaration of these zones following extensive community consultation on draft REZ orders, which closed in March 2026.
NSW Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) Program
NSW is delivering five Renewable Energy Zones (Central-West Orana, New England, South West, Hunter-Central Coast, and Illawarra) to coordinate wind and solar generation, storage, and high-voltage transmission. Led by EnergyCo NSW under the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, the program targets at least 12 GW of new renewable generation and 2 GW of long-duration storage by 2030. Major construction of the first REZ (Central-West Orana) transmission project began in June 2025, involving 90km of 500kV and 150km of 330kV lines. As of February 2026, the project reached a milestone with the Australian Energy Regulator's final decision on network revenue determinations, and significant progress has been made on temporary worker accommodation and road upgrades between the Port of Newcastle and the Central-West Orana region.
SA Housing Trust Maintenance Contracts Review and Service Program
Statewide maintenance and service contracts for SA Housing Trust public housing properties, covering reactive maintenance, vacancy restoration and minor works across metropolitan and regional South Australia. The program is delivered by Spotless Facility Services, RTC Facilities Maintenance and Torrens Facility Management. A 2024 SA Government review examined payment, timeliness, dispute resolution and contract performance issues, and the government provided additional funding to accelerate maintenance and upgrades on vacant public housing homes.
EnergyConnect
Australia's largest energy transmission project. A new ~900km interconnector linking the NSW, SA and VIC grids. NSW-West (Buronga to SA border and Red Cliffs spur) was energised in 2024-2025, connecting the three states via the expanded Buronga substation. NSW-East (Buronga-Dinawan-Wagga Wagga) is under active construction with substation upgrades at Wagga Wagga completed in June 2025 and works well advanced at Dinawan and Buronga. Full 800MW transfer capability is targeted after completion of the eastern section and inter-network testing, expected by late 2027.
Regional Housing Fund
A $1 billion Homes Victoria program delivering more than 1,300 social and affordable homes across at least 30 regional and rural Victorian LGAs. Delivery uses modern construction methods, redevelopment of existing social housing, community housing partnerships, refurbishments and purchases in new developments. Homes Victoria reports more than 630 homes completed or under construction, including 377 completed, with fund completion targeted for 2028.
NSW Heavy Vehicle Rest Stops Program (TfNSW)
Statewide Transport for NSW program to increase and upgrade heavy vehicle rest stopping across NSW. Works include minor upgrades under the $11.9m Heavy Vehicle Rest Stop Minor Works Program (e.g. new green reflector sites and amenity/signage improvements), early works on new and upgraded formal rest areas in regional NSW, and planning and site confirmation for a major new dedicated rest area in Western Sydney. The program aims to reduce fatigue, improve safety and productivity on key freight routes, and respond to industry feedback collected since 2022.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees West Wimmera performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia
West Wimmera has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, representing diverse sectors. The unemployment rate is 1.3%. Over the past year, employment has remained stable while the labour force decreased by 2.2%, leading to a decrease in unemployment by 2.2 percentage points.
As of December 2025, 1,402 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 2.4% below Regional Vic.'s rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is 64.0%, slightly higher than Regional Vic.'s 61.0%. A moderate 24.2% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training.
West Wimmera specializes in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 6.4 times the regional level. However, construction is under-represented at 4.1% compared to Regional Vic.'s 10.4%. Some residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Wimmera's industry mix suggests local employment could grow by 4.7% in five years and 11.0% in ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for localized population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data
The West Wimmera SA2 had a lower income level than the national average according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $45,518 and the average income stood at $54,695. This compares to Regional Vic.'s figures of $50,954 and $62,728 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.62% since financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 would be approximately $49,897 (median) and $59,957 (average). Census data showed personal income ranked at the 27th percentile ($698 weekly), while household income was at the 11th percentile. Income analysis revealed that 25.7% of the population (682 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring the broader area where 30.3% occupied this bracket. Housing costs were modest with 94.4% of income retained. However, total disposable income ranked at just the 22nd percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 4th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
West Wimmera is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
West Wimmera's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.4% houses and 3.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Regional Vic.'s 90.1% houses and 9.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Wimmera stood at 60.1%, with mortgaged properties at 23.7% and rented ones at 16.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $758, lower than Regional Vic.'s average. Median weekly rent was $150, compared to Regional Vic.'s $285. Nationally, West Wimmera's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
West Wimmera features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households account for 60.8 percent of all households, including 20.7 percent that are couples with children, 32.9 percent that are couples without children, and 6.7 percent that are single-parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 39.2 percent, with lone person households at 36.4 percent and group households comprising 2.8 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Regional Vic. average of 2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in West Wimmera fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
The area's university qualification rate is 16.3%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.8%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.4%) and postgraduate qualifications (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 38.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (26.9%). Educational participation is high at 25.6%, with 11.4% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 1.5% pursuing tertiary education.
Educational participation is notably high, with 25.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.4% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 1.5% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
West Wimmera has four active public transport stops. One route services these stops, offering ten weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is limited, with residents typically living 3367 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Cars are the primary mode of transport, used by 83% of residents, while 12% walk. On average, there are 1.9 vehicles per dwelling, above the regional norm.
According to the 2021 Census, 24.2% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages one trip per day across all routes, resulting in approximately two weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in West Wimmera is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts
West Wimmera faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be high across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover was found to be very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~1,243 people), compared to 50.5% in Regional Vic.
and the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions were arthritis (impacting 12.4%) and mental health issues (7.7%). However, 64.4% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.4% in Regional Vic. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 30.1% of residents aged 65 and over (799 people), higher than the 23.9% in Regional Vic. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
The latest Census data sees West Wimmera placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics
West Wimmera had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.6% of its population being citizens, 92.1% born in Australia, and 97.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 57.7% of West Wimmera's population, compared to 47.3% across Regional Vic. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.3%), Australian (32.2%), and Irish (9.6%).
Notably, German was overrepresented at 6.9% in West Wimmera versus 3.5% regionally, Scottish at 9.4% versus 8.8%, and Samoan at 0.2% versus 0.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
West Wimmera ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide
West Wimmera's median age is 51 years, which is significantly higher than Regional Vic.'s average of 43 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Regional Vic., West Wimmera has a notably over-represented cohort aged 65-74 (16.8%) and an under-represented cohort aged 15-24 (7.8%). The 65-74 concentration is well above the national average of 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that between 2016 and 2021, West Wimmera's population aged 85+ grew from 3.5% to 4.8%, while the 65-74 cohort increased from 15.5% to 16.8%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 12.9% to 10.3%, and the 55-64 group dropped from 17.9% to 15.5%. By 2041, West Wimmera is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 85+ group projected to grow by -16 people (-16%), reaching 107 from 127. Population declines are also projected for the 85+ and 0-4 cohorts.