WASI
Western Australian Statistical Indicators
(cat. no. 1367.5)
International Travel
There has been a large rise in Western Australians travelling overseas since 2003, underpinned by a rapidly expanding local economy. More people have departed WA for holidays, visiting friends or relatives, business, education, employment and conventions or conferences.
Overseas holiday travel increased substantially to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand in particular, caused by a drop in travel to Indonesia after the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005.
The number of Western Australians travelling overseas to visit friends or relatives surged to a ten-year high in 2006, with much more travel to the UK and New Zealand. Overseas business travel from the state grew strongly, particularly to the rapidly developing countries of China, India and the United Arab Emirates.
In comparison education travel has risen sharply since 2003, with more students departing to Singapore and New Zealand, along with convention or conference travel, predominantly to China. Employment travel abroad has shown only a modest increase due to the onset of the state’s skills shortage.
Regional Housing in WA
Since 2000, WA has undergone significant economic and population growth spurred by major resource investment in the state. This has seen pressure placed on the WA housing market, both in Perth and regional areas.
The estimated resident population of WA in June 1996 was 1.8 million. By June 2006 it had increased 17% to just over 2 million persons. Population growth in Perth and regional WA was similar, though growth in the regions was inconsistent. The South-west and Pilbara regions were the highest growth areas of regional WA.
Between the 1996 and 2006 censuses the number of occupied private dwellings in Western Australia grew by 20%, from 629,303 dwellings in 1996 to 757,983 in 2006. Over the same period, the number of occupied private dwellings in Perth and regional WA increased by 20% and 21% respectively.
Separate houses accounted for 79% of all occupied private dwellings in WA. While Perth mirrored this tendency with 78% being occupied private dwellings, in regional WA the figure rose to 82%. Medium and high density housing accounted for 19% of WA’s occupied private dwellings in 2006, however in regional WA only 11% of occupied private dwellings fell into this category.
For further information please follow the link below to the full WASI article, or contact Phil Smythe on (08) 9360 5224.
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