March 17, 1999

Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)

34/1999

The publication, Regional Statistics, Australian Capital Territory, 1999, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), focuses on small-area statistics for the ACT and nearby areas.

The 73-page publication presents a summary of the latest available key statistics, at the time of preparation, for each of the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) or Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) of the ACT, as well as for Queanbeyan City and Yarrowlumla Shire (part A) which make up the Queanbeyan Statistical Subdivision. The total geographic area of coverage of these statistics is the Canberra-Queanbeyan Statistical District plus ACT Balance.

The publication contains data on a wide-range of subjects such as:

• rate of population growth and age distribution
  
• employment size and industry classification of businesses
  
• labour market and unemployment rate data
  
• number and value of building approvals
  
• number of schools and student enrolments
  
• number of social security recipients and dependency ratios
  
• mean taxable income by Statistical Subdivision.

It includes a map of each region according to the Census of Population and Housing boundaries as at 30 June 1996.


Information on the ACT and Queanbeyan SSDs includes:

• At 30 June 1998 the preliminary estimated resident population (ERPp) of the ACT was 308,411, an increase of 400 (0.1%) on the revised 30 June 1997 figure. Population growth over the period was largely concentrated in Gungahlin-Hall (up 1,575 persons or 10.8%) as a result of the development of the new suburbs of Ngunnawal, Nicholls, Amaroo and Palmerston, with all other SSDs experiencing population declines;

• At 30 June 1998, Queanbeyan SSD had a preliminary estimated resident population of 38,078, an increase of 405 (1.1%) on the revised figure for the previous year. Queanbeyan City contributed 28,826 (up 249 persons or 0.9% growth) and Yarrowlumla (Part A) contributed 9,252 (up 156 persons or 1.7% growth);

• The ERPp from 1997 indicates that there are slightly more females (50.4%) than males (49.6%) in the ACT, with the birth rate being higher for males (50.7%) than females (49.3%). Females (50.3%) accounted for a slightly larger proportion of deaths in the ACT than males (49.7%). Males outnumbered females in both Queanbeyan and Yarrowlumla;

• At 30 September 1998, there were 13,921 businesses employing wage and salary earners in the ACT: 3,325 in South Canberra (24%); 2,958 in North Canberra (21%); 2,529 in Belconnen (18%); 2,121 in Tuggeranong (15%); 1,579 in Woden Valley (11%); 729 in Weston Creek-Stromlo (5%); and 603 in Gunghalin-Hall (4%).

• According to the ABS Business Register, the categories Property and Business Services (25%), Retail Trade (18%), Construction (10%), and Health and Community Services (9%) reported the highest number of businesses as at September 1998;

• Of the 1,726 businesses recorded in Queanbeyan SSD on the ABS Business Register in September 1998, Retail Trade, 267 (16%), Construction, 249 (14%), Property and Business Services, 240 (14%), and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, 232 (13%) recorded the highest number of businesses registered;

• The June Quarter 1998 indicated that unemployment rates in the ACT (6.5%) continued to fall from the June Quarter 1997, with Tuggeranong and Gungahlin-Hall at 5.4% and 5.6% respectively recording the lowest rates, and North Canberra and Belconnen at 9.0% and 6.9% respectively recording the highest rates. The Queanbeyan SSD recorded a rate of 7.5% in June Quarter 1998;

• During 1997-98, 2,697 buildings were approved in the ACT, a decrease of 529 (16%) from 1996-97. The value of building approvals was $455.3 million, down $102.2 million (18%) over the same period. Also 1,396 dwelling units were created in 1997-98, a decrease of 561 (29%) from the previous year. Most of the residential building activity has been in Gunghalin-Hall.

• Pre-school enrolments in ACT were down 304 students (8%) from August 1997 to 3,952 in August 1998.

• At August 1998 there were 138 schools (government and non-government) in the ACT with 63,053 students enrolled. Enrolments in the government schools system were down from August 1997 (2%, or 841 students). In August 1998, there were 5,252 student enrolments for schools in Queanbeyan SSD. Of these, 4,579 students (87%) were enrolled in 10 government schools with the remaining 673 (13%) in one non-government primary school;

• Offences reported or becoming known to police were down 3.4% in the 12 months to June 1998 to 40,537;

• At June 1998, 62,032 people (26% of the total population aged 15 and over) received some form of social security benefit in the ACT, with Woden Valley having the highest dependency ratio at 29%. Queanbeyan SSD had 9,174 residents receiving social security benefits with a dependency ratio of 32%;

• The mean taxable income was $34,791 for the ACT in 1995-96. South Canberra recorded the highest mean income ($41,495), while Gungahlin-Hall ($32,661) recorded the lowest. The mean taxable income for Queanbeyan SSD was lower than that of any ACT area at $31,495.

Regional Statistics, Australian Capital Territory, 1999 (Cat. No. 1313.8) is available at $21.00 a copy from the ABS Bookshop, 9th Floor, FAI House, London Circuit, Canberra City.

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March 17 1999
Addendum

The Statistical Subdivision (SSD) of Queanbeyan covers an area of some 1,981 square kilometres. Within the Queanbeyan SSD are the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) of Queanbeyan City and Yarrowlumla (Part A). Queanbeyan City covers an area of 53 square kilometres and contained at 30 June 1998 an estimated resident population of 28,826 people, an increase of 0.9% from the revised figure of 28,577 recorded at 30 June 1997. Yarrowlumla (Part A) covers an area of 1,929 square kilometres and contained an estimated resident population of 9,252 people at 30 June 1998, an increase of 1.7% from the revised figure of 9,096 recorded at 30 June 1997.

The 0-14 age group now represent 22.9% of the total Queanbeyan SSD population while the proportion of persons aged 15-64 and 65 years and over comprise 69.4% and 7.7% respectively. The median age of the estimated resident population of Queanbeyan SSD at 30 June 1997 was 31.8 years, slightly higher than the ACT median age of 31.6 years.

In 1997, 591 births (309 males and 282 females) were registered to women whose usual place of residence was in Queanbeyan SSD. Compared with the previous year Queanbeyan City experienced an overall decrease of births of 18 (or 3.0%) in 1997, with male births making up the bulk of the decrease (down 13). The sex ratio of males to females at birth was 110.

Queanbeyan had a total population density of 19 persons per square kilometre at 30 June 1998. Queanbeyan City had a total population density of 550.1 persons per square kilometre, whilst Yarrowlumla (Part A) recorded a population density of 4.7 persons per square kilometre as at 30 June 1997 reflecting the rural style of living in this SLA.

In June 1998, Queanbeyan SSD had a labour force of 20,859 people, and an unemployment rate of 7.5%. This compares to an unemployment rate of 5.9% in June 1997. Both Queanbeyan City and Yarrowlumla (Part A) had increases in their unemployment rates in this period, from 6.3% to 8.0% and 4.3% to 5.8% respectively.

During 1997-98 there were 383 buildings approved for Queanbeyan SSD, the same as 1996-97. The value of building approvals in Queanbeyan SSD was $40.5 million, Queanbeyan City representing 79% ($32.1 million) and Yarrowlumla Part A making up the remaining ($8.4 million). There were 248 dwelling units created in Queanbeyan SSD during 1997-98, a similar figure to 1996-97 (when it was 243). The majority of dwelling units created were in Queanbeyan City (191 or 77%).

In August 1998, there were 5,252 enrolments for schools in Queanbeyan. Of these 4,579 students (87.2%) were enrolled in government schools and the remaining 673 (12.8%) were in non-government schools. All non-government schools, and students, are located in Queanbeyan City. Within the government schools sector, 556 students (19.2%) of primary schools students in Queanbeyan were located in Yarrowlumla (Part A).

At 30 June 1998 there were 9,174 people in Queanbeyan SSD receiving social security. Of these 2,190 were age pension recipients and 1,564 total labour market recipients. Queanbeyan SSD had the highest social security dependency ratio of all the SSDs analysed at 32%.

In Queanbeyan SSD for 1995-96 there were 16,606 taxable incomes and 2,689 non-taxable incomes in the same year. Queanbeyan recorded a lower mean taxable income than any SSD in the ACT at $31,495.

At September 1998, there were 1,726 businesses in the Queanbeyan SSD. Just over 63% (1,089) were small businesses employing less than five people, 16% employing between 5 to 9 people, and 8% employing between 10 to 19 people.

Retail Trade (267 businesses or 15.5%), Construction (249 or 14.4%), Property and Business Services (240 or 13.9%), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (232 or 13.4%), and Manufacturing (152 or 8.8%) recorded the highest number of businesses registered in Queanbeyan SSD as at September 1998. The majority of business locations in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector were found within the Yarrowlumla Shire - Part A.

(Addendum to ABS media release 34/99)