Locksmith in Crib Point and Bittern

Crib Point and Bittern sit side by side on Western Port, south of Hastings, each with a station on the Stony Point line. HMAS Cerberus, the Navy's main training base, is just outside Crib Point on Hanns Inlet. Unlike the beach villages further south, these are year-round towns of family homes, with plenty of sheds, boats and trailers.

Homes in Crib Point and Bittern: what the Census tells us

Crib Point had 3,343 residents and 1,402 private dwellings at the 2021 Census.

• Only 4.9% of dwellings were unoccupied on Census night, against 11.1% across Victoria. People live here all year.
• 49.4% of homes are owned with a mortgage, so a lot of households bought recently.
• 18.5% of dwellings are townhouses, units or semi-detached homes, above the Victorian figure of 13.9%.
• 18.4% of homes are rented, below the Victorian average of 28.5%.
• The median age is 39, younger than most of the Peninsula.

Bittern is bigger and more settled. It had 4,276 residents and 1,750 private dwellings, with 93.6% separate houses, 41.5% owned outright, 41.8% owned with a mortgage, 12.1% rented and only 5.5% of dwellings unoccupied. The median age is 46.

Sources: ABS 2021 Census QuickStats for Crib Point and Bittern.

Crib Point and Bittern are in the Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Emergency lockouts in Crib Point and Bittern

Locked out of the house? Check the back door and every window first, and ask anyone who has a spare. If a child, vulnerable person or animal is locked inside, call 000 first. Otherwise call, tell us the street and what's happened, and we'll get a local locksmith on the way. Most standard locks open without damage. More on emergency lockouts and what to do when you're locked out of the house.

Rekeying when you move in

With nearly half of Crib Point homes bought with a mortgage, rekeying on moving day is one of the most useful jobs here. The previous owners, agents and trades may all still have keys. Rekeying makes every old key stop working without replacing the locks. Rekey or replace your locks?

If you're renting, you generally need the rental provider's consent before changing locks. Consumer Affairs Victoria says rental providers must make sure every external door has a working deadlatch with at least one cylinder, and windows need latches that secure them against entry from outside (Consumer Affairs Victoria). More on lock changes and rekeying.

Townhouses and units in Crib Point

Nearly one in five Crib Point dwellings is a townhouse, unit or semi-detached home. That often means shared driveways, letterboxes and garages. Letterbox keys can usually be cut from the lock. A deadlock on the back door and a lock on the sliding door are the most common upgrades. More on security upgrades and how to secure a sliding door.

Sheds, boats and trailers

Bigger blocks in Bittern and Crib Point come with sheds, workshops and side gates, and plenty of homes have a boat or trailer in the driveway. Hitch locks, boat cabin locks and padlocks take a beating from salt air on Western Port. If one has seized or the key is gone, a locksmith can usually open it, cut a key from it, or replace it with a marine-grade lock. More on key cutting.

Car lockouts and car keys

Keys locked in the car at the station, the shops or at home? A mobile car locksmith can open most cars without damage and cut and program replacement keys for most common makes. Have the make, model and year ready. More on car lockouts and car key replacement.

Areas covered

Crib Point 3919 and Bittern 3918, plus Hastings, Somerville and the villages around Balnarring.

Local tip: Lock your trailer with a hitch lock as well as a padlock, and choose marine-grade or stainless steel. Standard padlocks rust quickly near the water.