Sarina among the Mackay Whitsunday’s worst crime suburbs – ranked list

Despite the beautiful coastline and quaint valleys, the Mackay Whitsundays regions are susceptible to all types of crime – some more than others. Find out what the most dangerous suburbs are.

Mackay and the Whitsundays are no doubt a beautiful place to live surrounded by rivers, palm trees and beaches.

But beauty does not mean our suburbs are free from crime.

Using Queensland Police crime statistics for the past 12 months we have compiled a list of the region’s most dangerous suburbs using a crime per capita index.

The information was compiled using a combination of the 2016 Census and Mackay Regional council figures from 2018.

Unfortunately, Queensland Police statistics did not break down the specific suburbs in Mackay’s Northern Beaches but gave a whole value for the region.

Included is the summary of offences from trespass to assault to car theft.

Here are the region’s most dangerous suburbs.

11. Finch Hatton – 76 offences

Crime per capita: 0.10

Suburb synopsis:

Farleigh was home to a population of 499 people during the 2016 census.

The Census showed the median age of residents was 47 years old with a median weekly household income of $1029.

At the time, 6.4 per cent of the population were unemployed, and of those who were employed 20.5 per cent were machinery operators and drivers and 18.6 per cent were managers.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 3

Unlawful entry: 5

Property damage (all offences against property): 28

Thefts: 13

Drugs: 5

Traffic: 15

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 7

10. Mirani – 133 offences

Crime per capita: 0.07

Suburb synopsis:

Mirani has a population of 1258 people representing just 1 per cent of Mackay’s total population.

Marian residents are predominantly working families with children who’s major industry is mining employing 16.2 per cent of the population.

The area’s unemployment rate sits at 6.6 per cent which is lower than Mackay’s average.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 10

Unlawful entry: 14

Property damage (all offences against property): 52

Thefts: 23

Drugs: 7

Traffic: 19

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 8

9. Eton – 139 offences

Crime per capita: 0.11

Suburb synopsis:

Eton was home to a population of 679 people during the 2016 census.

The Census showed the median age of residents was 39 years old with a median weekly household income of $1309.

At the time, 9.7 per cent of the population were unemployed, and of those who were employed, 21.1 per cent were technicians or trades people with machinery operators and drivers making up another 20.5 per cent.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 9

Unlawful entry: 11

Property damage (all offences against property): 45

Thefts: 18

Drugs: 20

Traffic: 23

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 13

8. Nebo – 153 offences

Crime per capita: 0.13

Suburb synopsis:

During the 2016 Census survey Nebo was home to about 753 people.

The average age of residents was 35 years old with a median weekly household income of $1710.

The largest industry employer was coal mining at 25.7 per cent and 30.3 per cent of workers were employed as machinery operators and drivers.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 5

Unlawful entry: 4

Property damage (all offences against property): 52

Thefts: 32

Drugs: 14

Traffic: 41

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 5

7. Farleigh – 155 offences

Crime per capita: 0.16

Suburb synopsis:

Farleigh was home to a population of 815 people during the 2016 Census.

The Census showed the median age of residents was 42 years old with a median weekly household income of $1647.

At the time, 2.8 per cent of the population were unemployed, and of those who were employed, 20.4 per cent were managers with technicians and trades workers accounting for another 17.8 per cent.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 9

Unlawful entry: 10

Property damage (all offences against property):

Thefts: 49

Drugs: 31

Traffic: 51

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 5

6. Marian – 182 offences

Crime per capita: 0.04

Suburb synopsis:

The Marian region is home to 3042 people having quadrupled in size from 2002 to 2013 because of its proximity to the Peak Downs Highway allowing an easier drive to the coal mines in the Bowen Basin.

The major industry for residents is mining which employs 16.2 per cent of the population.

Marian has a 6.6 per cent unemployment rate which is lower than average for the Mackay region.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 1

Unlawful entry: 21

Property damage (all offences against property): 65

Thefts: 32

Drugs: 12

Traffic: 46

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 5

5. Walkerston – 234 offences

Crime per capita: 0.12

Suburb synopsis:

Walkerston is home to about 3350 people with a predominant population demographic of working families with children.

About 12.5 per cent work in mining with an unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 24

Unlawful entry: 32

Property damage (all offences against property): 20

Thefts: 60

Drugs: 36

Traffic: 42

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 20

4. Proserpine – 962 offences

Crime per capita: 0.17

Suburb synopsis:

During the 2016 Census Proserpine was home to 3562 people with a median age of 43 years old.

About 18 per cent of workers were employed as technicians and trades workers with about 7.8 per cent of residents unemployed.

The median weekly household income sat at $1,079.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 47

Unlawful entry: 44

Property damage (all offences against property): 311

Thefts: 153

Drugs: 186

Traffic: 201

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 20

 
3. Sarina – 1349 offences

Crime per capita: 0.15

Suburb synopsis:

About 2.3 per cent of Mackay’s residents live in Sarina totalling a population of 6,119 people.

Mining is the biggest employer of the region at 13.8 per cent, closely followed by logistics at 11.7 per cent.

About 9.7 per cent of the area’s resident’s are unemployed which is 0.7 per cent higher than Mackay’s average.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 71

Unlawful entry: 92

Property damage (all offences against property): 478

Thefts: 190

Drugs: 257

Traffic: 209

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 52

2. Whitsunday – 2007 offences

Crime per capita: 0.03

Suburb synopsis:

The Whitsunday region was home to 59,648 people during the 2016 Census with 36 years old being the median age of residents.

The average weekly income per household was $1523 with the 18.8 per cent of the population working as technicians and trades workers.

The unemployment rate was 6.9 per cent.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 170

Unlawful entry: 62

Property damage (all offences against property): 552

Thefts: 252

Drugs: 643

Traffic: 297

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 31

1. Mackay Northern Beaches – 3414 offences

Crime per capita: 0.10

Suburb synopsis:

Figures from Mackay Regional Council estimate a population of 21,085 in Mackay’s Northern Beaches.

The region has an 8.6 per cent unemployment rate but for those who are employed the largest industry is mining at 14.9 per cent closely followed by health at 12.4 per cent.

The region is expected to take in another 5000 people in the next 10 years.

Offences breakdown:

Assault: 200

Unlawful entry: 260

Property damage (all offences against property): 1371

Thefts: 577

Drugs: 590

Traffic: 307

Unlawful use of motor vehicle: 109

Originally published as Sarina among the Mackay Whitsunday’s worst crime suburbs – ranked list