Town by Town Snapshot: Armstrong Creek

The size of Armstrong Creek (east of Surf Coast Highway) is about 18.7 square kilometres and has four parks covering nearly 0.8 per cent of the total area.

The population of Armstrong Creek in 2011 was 353 people and by the 2016 Census the population was 4,237, showing a population growth of 1,100.3 per cent in the area during that time.
Significant growth has occurred since the last Census with Warralily, Villawood (excluding Armstrong), Ashbury and Charlemont Rise alone contributing more than 10,000 residents to the area’s population.
The council’s 2020 population forecast for Armstrong Creek was 8,848 and is forecast to grow to 25,274 by 2041.
The vision for the Armstrong Creek growth area is to provide housing for between 55,000 to 65,000 people, which is estimated to be around 22,000 residential homes, and to provide 22,000 jobs, with a focus on high technology jobs and developing synergies with Deakin University.
There are two dedicated employment precincts in the growth area, the North East Industrial Precinct and the Western Industrial Precinct.
The Major Activity Centre will also provide a large scale of employment across Armstrong Creek along with schools and community facilities.
The second shopping facility for the area, Stage 1 of the landmark $1 billion Armstrong Creek Town Centre, opened last month.
The vision also places a high priority on the area to be developed as a sustainable community, with a focus on walkability, public transport provision and sustainable water use.
Serviced by the Marshall and Waurn Ponds railway stations, a rail connection to Torquay is also referenced through the framework plan that makes provision for a land corridor which runs from the existing Warrnambool- Melbourne line to the south of the growth area, which will ultimately allow for a rail connection to Torquay.
The Department of Transport have however indicated that, initially, any public transport link to Torquay will be via a high-quality rapid bus service in the short term.
Both councils and the department are working together to ensure that the appropriate planning for this link is co-ordinated across municipal boundaries.
CoreLogic data indicates that the predominant age group in Armstrong Creek is 30-39 years with households in Armstrong Creek being primarily couples with children and are likely to be repaying $1,800-$2,399 per month on mortgage repayments, and in general, people in Armstrong Creek work in a professional occupation.
In 2011, 88.5 per cent of the homes in Armstrong Creek were owner-occupied, compared with 73.1 per cent in 2016.

TIDBIT: There were more than 2,300 land sales in Armstrong Creek during the past five years.

Population: 4,237
Male: 49.4%
Female: 50.6%
Median age: 28
5 year population change: 1,100.3%
Median house price: $530,500
Change in Median Price: (5yrs) is 20.5%
Median asking rent per week: $405
Average length of ownership: 4 years

Median house price:
May 2020: $530,500
May 2019: $535,000
May 2018: $493,250
May 2017: $458,250
May 2016: $440,000

House sales per annum:
Period ending April 2020: 178
Period ending April 2019: 158

Land median sale price:
May 2020: $270,000
May 2019: $267,000

Land sales per annum:
Period ending May 2020: 122
Period ending May 2019: 196