STATISTICS NEWS NSW

Regional Population Growth in NSW: Latest Local Government Area Population Estimates Released
Residential and Workplace Mobility and Implications for Travel: Results of the 2008 NSW State Supplementary Survey Released
Variations in Regional Incomes: Release of the Latest Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics
Measuring Australia's Progress: Regional Data
Australian Social Trends: Latest Edition
Community Indicators: NSW to Participate in National Discussion


REGIONAL POPULATION GROWTH IN NSW: LATEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA (LGA) POPULATION ESTIMATES RELEASED

The latest population estimates for NSW LGAs are available in Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2007-08 (cat. no. 3218.0), released on 23 April 2009.


Sydney Statistical Division

At 30 June 2008 the estimated resident population of NSW was 6.98 million people, an increase of 79,200 people (1.1%) since June 2007. In the same time period, the Sydney SD population increased by 55,000 people (1.3%) to 4.4 million people, representing around 63% of the NSW population. Almost all LGAs in Sydney experienced population growth, and nine of the ten LGAs with the largest population growth in NSW were within the Sydney SD. Auburn in central-western Sydney experienced the fastest growth of any Sydney LGA, at 3.1%, followed by neighbouring Parramatta (2.5%).


Outside of Sydney

Outside of the Sydney SD, the fastest growth rates in 2007-08 were along the NSW coast in the Richmond-Tweed (1.6%), Mid North Coast (1.2%), Hunter and South Eastern (both 1.1%) SDs. At June 2008, around 20% of the NSW population (1.38 million people) lived in coastal LGAs (LGAs with a boundary adjoining the sea) outside the Sydney SD. Combined, the population of these 21 coastal LGAs increased by 16,100 (1.2%) between June 2007 and June 2008. During this period, about 17% of the NSW population (1.2 million people) lived in inland NSW LGAs, which had a combined population increase of 8,000 (0.7%).

RESIDENTIAL AND WORKPLACE MOBILITY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAVEL: RESULTS OF THE 2008 NSW STATE SUPPLEMENTARY SURVEY RELEASED

Results from the 2008 NSW State Supplementary Survey were released on 19 May 2009. The topic for the 2008 State Supplementary Survey was Residential and Workplace Mobility and Implications for Travel (cat. no. 3240.0).

The survey measured the demographic characteristics of movers and non-movers; the reasons why people changed their usual residence; the reasons why people changed their current suburb of employment; and the modes of transport typically used to travel to the current suburb of employment.

VARIATIONS IN REGIONAL INCOMES: RELEASE OF THE LATEST REGIONAL WAGE AND SALARY EARNER STATISTICS

Australians derive their income from a variety of sources including their own unincorporated business, investments, superannuation and government payments, but the most common source is from wages and salaries. Released on 16 April 2009, Regional Wage and Salary Earner Statistics, Australia (cat. no. 5673.0.55.003) presents data on estimates of personal income for people whose main (or principal) source of income in the 2005-06 financial year was wages and salaries.

The main features article of the publication illustrates ways that the data can be used to explore regional variation in income. The article:

• provides an overview of the growth in average wage and salary income from 2001-02 to 2005-06, with some discussion of the variation in average annual growth rates between states and territories, and
• highlights the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) with the highest average wage and salary incomes in 2005-06, and describes some of the characteristics of wage and salary earners in those regions.

The data show that seven of the top ten wage and salary earning SLAs in Australia are located within the Sydney Statistical Division (SD). Of these, Mosman had Australia's highest average wage and salary income in 2005-06 ($100,177). In Sydney SD, the SLAs with the highest average wages and salaries have high proportions of earners in Manager and administrator and Professional occupations.

In NSW outside of the Sydney SD, the SLAs with the highest average wages and salaries have high proportions of earners in Tradesperson and related worker, and Intermediate production and transport worker occupations. These include regions known for mining operations, such as Singleton, Muswellbrook and Cobar.

MEASURING AUSTRALIA'S PROGRESS: REGIONAL DATA

Measures of Australia's Progress, Summary Indicators, 2009 (cat. no. 1383.0.55.001) was released on 30 April and includes spreadsheets of the national headline indicators at state and territory level, where applicable.

This release of Measuring Australia's Progress presents an annual update to headline indicators covering society, the economy and the environment. It provides information on the conceptual framework for Measuring Australia's Progress as well as links to feature articles from past editions.

AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL TRENDS: LATEST EDITION

The ABS released the latest edition of Australian Social Trends (cat. no. 4102.0) on 30 June 2009. The publication draws together a wide range of statistics from the ABS and other official sources to provide a picture of Australian society and how it is changing over time.

The latest edition features five articles:

• Relocation across the nation: internal migration and population growth
• Home and away: the living arrangements of young people
• Casual employees
• Health literacy
• Student achievement in maths and science

The release will also include indicator spreadsheets presenting national and state summary data on population, education and training, and other areas of social concern.

COMMUNITY INDICATORS: NSW TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL DISCUSSION

Policy and decision-makers from around Australia will assemble on 22-23 July 2009 in Brisbane to discuss a national approach to the development of community-based indicators. The Community Indicators Summit 09 will provide a unique opportunity for those interested in community indicators to share experiences, exchange ideas and report on advancements in the field in Australia and internationally.

The Summit is part of the OECD's Global Project on Measuring the Progress of Societies which highlights the need to move 'beyond GDP' to a more comprehensive view of societal progress that takes into account social and environmental concerns as well as economic ones. Keynote speaker Jon Hall, Manager, OECD World Forum Project, will report on international developments and the 3rd OECD World Forum to be held in Busan, Korea later this year.

One of the major outcomes expected from the Summit is the establishment of a national network of community indicators practitioners as part of an evolving National Statistical Service. Visit www.nss.gov.au for more information about the Community Indicators Summit 09 and the National Statistical Service.