Clunes crime statistics
Reporting period: 2025-07 – 2026-06
31 recorded in this period, compared with 31 in the preceding period.
LGA totals use the selected offence categories. Locality counts and population-adjusted LGA rates are different measures.
About Clunes
Clunes is a rural locality in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, situated within the Lismore City Council local government area and bearing the postcode 2480. Located roughly midway between Lismore and Byron Bay, the area is characterized by undulating, fertile volcanic terrain historically cleared for agriculture. Demographically, it functions as a quiet residential and farming community, sharing the broader regional profile of a lower-density rural population with strong economic and social ties to surrounding regional hubs.
The local community centers around a small commercial hub featuring a general store, a local public school, and community spaces that serve the surrounding agricultural and residential population. The economy of the broader area has traditionally been anchored by dairy farming, macadamia production, and other horticulture, though modern diversification includes tourism and creative industries typical of the Northern Rivers. Essential services, secondary schooling, and advanced healthcare are accessed in nearby larger centers such as Lismore, Bangalow, and Byron Bay.
European settlement in the Clunes area dates back to the mid-19th century, driven by the timber industry exploiting the region's vast "Big Scrub" rainforest, followed by agricultural clearing for dairy farming. The locality retains a distinct historical character shaped by its pioneering era, with several heritage-listed sites and historic homesteads reflecting its past as a thriving rural settlement. Over the decades, the landscape evolved from intensive dairy production into a mix of lifestyle properties, macadamia orchards, and diversified small-scale farming.
Recorded offence categories
| Category | Current period | Previous period |
|---|---|---|
| Breach Apprehended Violence Order | 3 | 1 |
| Fraud | 3 | 5 |
| Malicious damage to property | 3 | 4 |
| Breach bail conditions | 2 | 0 |
| Break and enter dwelling | 2 | 0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 2 | 1 |
| Other drug offences | 2 | 0 |
| Sexual assault | 2 | 1 |
| Steal from motor vehicle | 2 | 0 |
| Abduction and kidnapping | 1 | 0 |
| Arson | 1 | 2 |
| Cultivating cannabis | 1 | 0 |
| Domestic violence related assault | 1 | 2 |
| Intimidation, stalking and harassment | 1 | 2 |
| Non-domestic violence related assault | 1 | 3 |
| Prohibited and regulated weapons offences | 1 | 0 |
| Resist or hinder officer | 1 | 0 |
| Sexual touching, sexual act and other sexual offences | 1 | 3 |
Community context
The 2021 Census recorded 907 residents. This is not a current population estimate.
Sources and interpretation
These are police-recorded incident or victim counts, not every unreported incident or a prediction of personal safety. Percentage changes are not tests of statistical significance; small counts need particular care.