onthebellBuilt by the community, for the community.
onthebell is a hyper-local platform designed exclusively for residents of the Bellarine Peninsula. No irrelevant content pushed at you. No ads from overseas companies. Just your neighbourhood, your businesses, and your community.
About the Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula is a coastal region south-east of Geelong in Victoria, Australia. Home to thriving beach towns, farmland, wineries, and tight-knit communities stretching from the shores of Port Phillip Bay to the Bass Strait coast.
Covering postcodes 3219 · 3221 · 3222 · 3223 · 3224 · 3226 · 3227
What we stand for
Community over profit
onthebell is built on the belief that local communities deserve their own space — not a corner of a global social network. Every decision we make prioritises the wellbeing of Bellarine residents.
Privacy first
We collect only what’s needed to run the platform. Private groups use end-to-end encryption. Profile visibility is in your hands. Verification documents are deleted automatically. We will never sell your data.
Fair and affordable
Plans start from $4.99/month with a 14-day free trial. Our community pricing model means the more local businesses that advertise, the lower the per-view and per-click rates — rewarding participation over competition.
Genuinely local
Geo-restricted groups, address-verified households, and suburb-aware listings mean your feed is about your part of the Bellarine — not the whole internet.
Everything your suburb needs
Household registration
Verify your Bellarine address
Community groups
Suburb, street & interest groups
Encrypted groups
AES-256 private group conversations
Marketplace
Buy, sell, give away & make offers
Buyer–seller chat
Threaded marketplace messaging
Job board
Apply, track status & set alerts
Business directory
Reviews, ratings, badges & maps
Events
RSVP, calendar, map & recurring
Deals
Exclusive offers from local businesses
Discover
Trending posts, people & events
Flatmates
Find rooms and housemates nearby
Follow members
Stay updated on neighbours
Referral programme
Invite friends & track sign-ups
Community feedback
Submit ideas, bugs and suggestions
Monthly giveaway
Prizes from local businesses
Privacy controls
5-tier profile visibility
Installable PWA
Push, offline & pull-to-refresh
Advertising that rewards participation
onthebell uses a community pricing model for local business ads. You only pay for the views and clicks your ad receives, up until your chosen budget is used. The more local businesses advertise in a category, the lower the per-view and per-click rates become for everyone — keeping the platform welcoming and affordable for small local traders.
👁️
Pay per view
Charged only when locals see your ad
👆
Pay per click
Charged when someone taps through
💰
Set your budget
Runs until your budget is used
Set any budget from $5. Your ad runs until every cent is spent on real views and clicks.
Simple, fair pricing
No hidden fees. Cancel any time. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.
Starter
$2.50/mo
or $25/year
- ✓ Up to 5 marketplace listings/mo
- ✓ Up to 2 job listings/mo
- ✓ Up to 3 events/mo
- ✓ Create up to 3 groups
Plus
$5/mo
or $50/year
- ✓ Up to 10 marketplace listings/mo
- ✓ Up to 5 job listings/mo
- ✓ Up to 5 events/mo
- ✓ Create up to 5 groups
- ✓ Monthly giveaway entry
Premium
$10/mo
or $100/year
- ✓ Unlimited marketplace listings
- ✓ Up to 10 job listings/mo
- ✓ Unlimited events
- ✓ Unlimited groups
- ✓ Monthly giveaway entry
- ✓ Encrypted private groups
Business Lite
$25/mo
or $250/year
- ✓ Unlimited marketplace listings
- ✓ Unlimited job listings
- ✓ Unlimited events
- ✓ Unlimited groups
- ✓ Monthly giveaway entry
- ✓ Encrypted private groups
Business
$50/mo
or $500/year
- ✓ Unlimited marketplace listings
- ✓ Unlimited job listings
- ✓ Unlimited events
- ✓ Unlimited groups
- ✓ Monthly giveaway entry
- ✓ Encrypted private groups
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to live on the Bellarine Peninsula to join?
Yes — onthebell is geo-restricted to the Bellarine Peninsula. You’ll need to register a Bellarine address to access location-specific features like community groups and the verified-neighbour feed.
How is my address verified?
You submit supporting documentation during household registration. Documents are reviewed and then automatically deleted from our storage — we keep a verification status flag, not your paperwork.
What membership plans are available?
We offer six tiers: Free ($0), Starter ($2.50/mo), Plus ($5/mo), Premium ($10/mo), Business Lite ($25/mo), and Business ($50/mo). Annual billing is available on every paid plan at 10× the monthly rate. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial. Premium unlocks unlimited marketplace listings, encrypted groups, the monthly giveaway, ad-free browsing, and priority support. Business Lite adds the ability to register in the business directory and post deals. Business adds ad creation and priority support.
Is my personal information safe?
Yes. Your account and personal information are protected with industry-standard security practices. Private groups use AES-256 encryption for posts and comments. Profile visibility can be set to public, postcode, suburb, street, or fully private. Verification documents are permanently deleted once your address has been approved.
What are events and deals?
Events lets anyone discover local happenings — markets, sports, meetups — with RSVP, capacity limits, calendar and map views, recurring schedules, and online or hybrid formats. Deals showcases exclusive discounts and offers from Bellarine businesses, with discount codes, bookmarks, and claim tracking.
How do marketplace offers and messaging work?
Buyers can make offers on listings which sellers can accept, decline, or counter. Once connected, buyers and sellers can message each other in a threaded chat. Paid members can also bump listings to increase visibility.
Can I apply for jobs through onthebell?
Yes — you can apply directly to job listings with a resume and cover letter. Track your application status (submitted, viewed, shortlisted, hired) and subscribe to job alerts for new postings that match your preferences.
What is the referral programme?
Every member gets a unique referral link. Share it with friends and track how many people sign up through your link from your account settings.
I run a local business — how does advertising work?
Business-tier members can place ads that appear to Bellarine residents. You set a budget and only pay for real views and clicks until it’s used up. Our community pricing model means per-view and per-click rates decrease as more businesses advertise in the same category. You can also post deals and submit prizes for the monthly giveaway.
Can I cancel my subscription at any time?
Yes — you can cancel your monthly or annual subscription at any time from your account settings. You’ll retain access until the end of your billing period.