3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand, 2000-01  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 19/02/2002   
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  • Population Growth: The Trend Is City Living Or Seachange - ABS (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

February 19, 2002
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
10/2002
Population Growth: The Trend Is City Living Or Seachange - ABS

Sydney and Melbourne experienced the largest population increases of all capital cities (1.4% and 1.6% respectively) in the year to June 2001, however Brisbane and Darwin recorded the fastest population increases (1.8% and 1.7%), according to regional population growth figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Capital cities are home to almost two-thirds (64%) of Australia's population and capital city growth accounted for almost three-quarters (74%) of Australia's population growth in 2000-01. Taken together the capital cities grew by 1.4% (169,700 people) while the balance of the States and Territories grew by 0.9% in the same period.

Inner city living continued to attract rapid population growth in 2000-01. Some of the fastest increases in population were in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the City of Melbourne (increasing by 10.0%), the City of Sydney (8.1%) and the City of Perth (7.6%).

Australians are still heading to the coast with many of Australia's coastal regions experiencing population gains in 2000-01. Examples include Lake Macquarie, Wollongong, Shoalhaven and Maclean in New South Wales, and Mornington Peninsula, Port Phillip, Bass Coast and Surf Coast in Victoria. The Gold Coast, Maroochy and Pine Rivers in Queensland and Victor Harbour in South Australia continued to grow in 2000-01, while in Western Australia the coastal LGAs of Broome, Bunbury and Busselton recorded growth.

Meanwhile regional Australia had mixed experience with both population growth and decline in regional centres. The regional centres of Queanbeyan (NSW), Maitland (NSW), Greater Bendigo (Vic), Ballarat (Vic), Townsville (Qld), Mount Gambier (SA) and Albany (WA) all increased in population. The top 20 population declines were all in regional LGAs (state balances) with Wellington (Vic), Latrobe (Vic), Whyalla (SA), Wagga Wagga (NSW), Glenelg (Vic), Broken Hill (NSW) and Port Augusta (SA) all experiencing declines of more than 300 people in the year ending June 2001.

Overall, Australia's population (19.4 million) increased by 229,500 (or 1.2%) during the year to June 2001, while New Zealand's population (3.9 million) grew by 19,200 at under half the Australian annual growth rate (0.5%).

More details including population growth for individual local areas as well as for the States and Territories of Australia are in Regional Population Growth, Australia and New Zealand (cat. no. 3218.0).

New South Wales
New South Wales recorded the largest population increase of all the States and Territories in the year ending June 2001 (70,000 or 1.1%). Growth was mostly in metropolitan areas, coastal areas and in some regional centres. Baulkham Hills (up 8,000) and Liverpool (up 5,800) had the largest increases, while Wagga Wagga (down 340) and Broken Hill (down 330) had the largest decreases.

Victoria
For the third consecutive year Victoria's population growth (1.3%) outpaced that of Australia as a whole (1.2%). Casey (up 7,900) and Melbourne (up 5,200) recorded the largest increases in Victoria. Wellington and La Trobe had the largest population losses, down 500 and 490, respectively.

Queensland
Queensland experienced the fastest growth in population of all the States and Territories (up 61,000 or 1.7%). The largest population increases were in Brisbane and Gold Coast (up 17,200 and 13,000 respectively). The largest declines were recorded in Rockhampton (down 240) and Duaringa (down 100).

South Australia
South Australia's population grew by 5,000 or 0.3% in the year ending June 2001. Most growth occurred in the Adelaide and Outer Adelaide SDs. Adelaide (up 500) and Mount Barker (up 480) had the largest population increases in the year ending June 2001. Whyalla (down 380) and Port Augusta (down 300) experienced the largest declines in South Australia.

Western Australia
Western Australia had the second fastest growth rate in Australia in 2000-01, its population growing by 26,100 or 1.4%.The largest population growth areas were located in the metropolitan fringes of Perth with Wanneroo and Swan growing by 3,100 and 2,600 respectively. The largest population declines occurred in the mining-rural shires of Ashburton (down 250) and East Pilbara (down 220).

Tasmania
The population of Tasmania remained relatively stable in 2000-01, declining by just 30 people. Meander Valley had the largest increase (160) followed by Kingborough (140). Launceston and Glenorchy had the largest population declines (down 140 and down 120 respectively).

Northern Territory
The Northern Territory's population grew by 2,100 or 1.1% in the year ending June 2001. Population growth in Palmerston-East Arm SSD accounted for two-thirds of the Northern Territory's population growth in 2000-01. Bakewell (520) and Palmerston Balance (400) experienced the largest increases while Groote Eylandt and Nhulunbuy experienced the largest decreases (down 50 people each).

ACT
The ACT's population grew by 3,200 (1.0%) in the year ending June 2001. The largest increases were in the recently developed suburbs in Canberra's north in the suburbs of Amaroo (860) and Palmerston (440). The largest population declines occurred in Kambah (down 170) and Lyons (down 110).