Melville Forest VIC 3315
Melville Forest sits 332 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 3 hours 50 minutes by car. Census data records 63 residents with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $61,724 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The locality grew 50.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $150 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $797. Melville Forest is characterised by no recorded flood exposure. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 63. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Melville Forest?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Short-Stay Rentals
1 active Airbnb listing: 1 whole home and 0 rooms.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Is Melville Forest safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Melville Forest sits in the moderate band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
2 offences
100.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Melville Forest killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Walkability
Melville Forest is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Melville Forest.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 26
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Southern Grampians: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Melville Forest is home to 63 residents, with a median age of 36, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $62,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
63
Median Age
36
Median Household Income
$61,724/yr
Census Median Rent
$150/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$797/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$38,636/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
22.7%
Total Dwellings
22
Owner-Occupier Rate
81.8%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
12.6%
Mortgage Stress
15.5%
Work From Home
37.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.9%
- Employment Rate
- 77.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 42.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,892 a year through Southern Grampians based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 94%
- Parks and recreation 6%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Southern Grampians
In the year to August 2026, 43 new dwellings were approved across Southern Grampians. That mix is 31 houses and 12 units. Approvals are up 200.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2007).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Hamilton Airport, 25.5 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, cold winters with occasional frost.
- Elevation
- 246 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 604 mm
- 103 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.5°C
- 11 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 4.7°C
- 5 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 3315, 0 of 1,923 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.6% (12 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3315, 267 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 836 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 5 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3315 in 2025-26. The most was 21, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Dan Tehan Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dan Tehan | 39.1% | 60.9% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Dan Tehan | 40.9% | 59.1% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Dan Tehan | 39.6% | 60.4% | +1.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Emma Kealy The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Emma Kealy NP | 58.9% | 28.4% | 71.6% |
| 2018 | Emma Kealy NP | 66.9% | 26.5% | 73.5% |
| 2014 | Emma Kealy NP | 54.1% | 28.7% | 71.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Melville Forest?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 63 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Melville Forest to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Melville Forest
Is Melville Forest a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Melville Forest is moderate (44/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Melville Forest?
Melville Forest has a low recorded bushfire history (38/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Melville Forest?
Melville Forest, VIC had a population of 63 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Melville Forest, VIC?
The postcode for Melville Forest, VIC is 3315.
How far is Melville Forest from Melbourne?
Melville Forest is 332 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 232 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Melville Forest?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Melville Forest was $61,724 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Melville Forest?
There are too few current rental listings in Melville Forest for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $150, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Melville Forest?
The median age of residents in Melville Forest was 36 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Melville Forest at risk of bushfire?
Melville Forest has a low recorded bushfire history (38/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
What is the weather like in Melville Forest?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Melville Forest, Hamilton Airport (25.5 km away), summer days average 26.5°C, winter nights 4.7°C, 604 mm of rain a year over 103 rainy days, and 11 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Melville Forest?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Melville Forest belong to?
Melville Forest sits within the Southern Grampians local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Melville Forest?
The average residential rates bill through Southern Grampians is $1,892 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Melville Forest?
Across Southern Grampians, 43 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 200.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Melville Forest in?
Melville Forest sits within the federal Division of Wannon, currently held by Dan Tehan (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
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