3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2007-08 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/04/2009   
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NORTHERN TERRITORY



TERRITORY SUMMARY

DARWIN

REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

CENTRES OF POPULATION

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA POPULATIONS


TERRITORY SUMMARY

The estimated resident population of the Northern Territory (NT) at 30 June 2008 was 219,800 people, an increase of 2.3% (5,000 people) since June 2007. This was the largest financial-year increase in population since 1996-97. The NT's average annual growth rate for the five years to June 2008 was 1.9%, making the NT the third fastest-growing of all the states and territories for that period, after Queensland and Western Australia.

SLA POPULATION CHANGE, Northern Territory - 2007-08
Diagram: SLA population change, NT, 2007-08


DARWIN

At June 2008, 55% of the NT's population resided in the Darwin SD and two-thirds of the territory's population growth occurred in this SD in 2007-08. The 2007-08 population growth rate was 2.8% (3,300 people).

All three SSDs within Darwin SD experienced population growth between June 2007 and June 2008. Palmerston-East Arm SSD grew by 5.5%, Litchfield Shire SSD by 5.1% and Darwin City SSD by 1.3%.

The population of Darwin City SSD at June 2008 was 73,800, an increase of 940 people since June 2007. Among the SLAs with populations of 2,000 or more at June 2007, the fastest growth occurred in the City - Inner (8.0%) and Bayview-Woolner (7.9%), both of which can be mostly attributed to continued residential development.

Palmerston-East Arm SSD, which is an expanding residential area, had the largest population growth of SSDs in the NT, increasing by 1,500 during the twelve months to June 2008, which was 29.8% of the NT's population growth. The fastest growth occurred in the SLAs of Palmerston (C) Bal (20.0%), which includes the suburbs of Farrar, Marlow Lagoon and Rosebery, and Gunn-Palmerston City (9.6%), while the longer-established SLAs in Palmerston experienced much slower growth.

The rate of population growth in Litchfield Shire SSD during the 12 months to June 2008 was 5.1%, which was slightly faster than the growth rate in the previous 12 months (4.8%). Nearly three-quarters of the population growth (660 people) took place in the SLA of Litchfield (S) - Pt B, which includes Howard Springs and Humpty Doo.


REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

The population of the Northern Territory - Bal SD at June 2008 was 99,200 people, an increase of 1.7% since June 2007.

The majority of SSDs within Northern Territory - Bal SD (with the exception of Bathurst-Melville to the north of Darwin), experienced increases in population in the 12 months to June 2008. East Arnhem recorded the fastest growth (2.6%), followed by Barkly (2.0%) and Central NT (1.8%).


Changes to Local Government Areas

In 2008, the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) introduced eight new LGAs and corresponding SLAs for the NT. These new LGAs are based on the new shires established as a result of the NT Government's Local Government Reform.

The LGAs in the Northern Territory - Bal SD generally experienced smaller population growth compared with those in the Darwin SD in 2007-08. Alice Springs (T), which is the largest regional centre outside of the Darwin SD, experienced the largest growth (500 people).

Of the LGAs in Northern Territory - Bal SD, the fastest population growth occurred in Central Desert (S) with an increase of 2.2%. Central Desert (S) takes in the major communities of Atitjere, Lajamanu, Laramba, Nturiya, Nyirripi, Pmara Jutunta, Willowra, Yuelamu, Yuendumu, and the town of Ti-Tree. Roper Gulf (S) to the east of Katherine was the second fastest-growing LGA, increasing by 2.1%.


Unincorporated NT

As a result of the NT Government's Local Government Reform, Unincorporated NT went from covering 91.4% of the NT land mass (ASGC 2007) and 16.5% of its population at 30 June 2007, to 1.5% of the NT's land mass (ASGC 2008) and 4.0% of its population at 30 June 2008. However, for this publication, a time series back to June 2001 of the estimated resident population of all Local Government and unincorporated areas has been prepared, based on the ASGC 2008 boundaries.

Unincorporated NT includes the SLAs of Alyangula, East Arm, Finniss-Mary, Nhulunbuy and Yulara. Alyangula and Nhulunbuy townships both come under a Special Purpose Lease, East Arm is on Darwin Rates Act Area land, Finniss-Mary is part of Unincorporated Top End Region and Yulara township is currently owned by private interests. In the year to June 2008, the population of Unincorporated NT increased by 3.6% to 8,800 people.

SLAs WITH LARGEST POPULATION GROWTH AND DECLINE, Northern Territory

ERP at 30 June
Population Change
2008p
2007r-2008p
SLA
no.
no.
%

LARGEST GROWTH

Palmerston (C) Bal
4 200
700
20.0
Litchfield (S) - Pt B
16 600
660
4.1
Gunn-Palmerston City
3 000
260
9.6
City - Inner
3 200
240
8.0
Litchfield (S) - Pt A
1 700
230
15.7

LARGEST DECLINE

Wulagi
2 700
-20
-0.8
City - Remainder
2 400
-20
-0.7
Wagaman
2 200
-20
-0.7
Tiwi Islands (S)
2 500
-10
-0.5
Jingili
1 900
-10
-0.6



CENTRES OF POPULATION

At June 2008, the centre of population for the Northern Territory was in the LGA of Katherine (T). The centre moved approximately 14.7 kilometres north between June 2003 and June 2008, reflecting the population growth occurring in the territory's northern LGAs such as Darwin (C), Palmerston (C) and Litchfield (S).

For the Darwin SD, the centre of population was in the suburb of Berrimah, south of the Stuart Highway.


LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA POPULATIONS, Northern Territory

Local Government Area
Estimated Resident Population at
30 June 2008
Change over previous
year
Change over previous
year (%)

Alice Springs (T)
27 481
496
1.8
Barkly (S)
7 924
158
2.0
Belyuen (S)
202
1
0.5
Central Desert (S)
4 644
100
2.2
Coomalie (S)
1 268
13
1.0
Darwin (C)
73 754
935
1.3
East Arnhem (S)
9 653
156
1.6
Katherine (T)
9 912
66
0.7
Litchfield (S)
18 277
892
5.1
MacDonnell (S)
6 999
106
1.5
Palmerston (C)
28 030
1 456
5.5
Roper Gulf (S)
6 718
138
2.1
Tiwi Islands (S)
2 487
-13
-0.5
Victoria-Daly (S)
6 699
109
1.7
Wagait (S)
326
-2
-0.6
West Arnhem (S)
6 644
100
1.5
Unincorporated NT
8 800
303
3.6
TOTAL NORTHERN TERRITORY
219 818
5 014
2.3

(C) City
(S) Shire
(T) Town
Estimates for 2008 are preliminary.
Source: Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2007–08 (cat. no. 3218.0).