POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

Population size and density

In 2006, more than two million people were living within the MDB (as reported in the Census), around 10% of Australia's population. The largest shares of the Basin's population resided within the states of New South Wales (39%) and Victoria (29%) (table 2.1).

Less than 70,000 people (4%) in the MDB were identified as Indigenous (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander), a higher proportion than the national average of 2%. The majority of Indigenous people in the MDB (45,650 people) resided in New South Wales with fewer residing in Queensland (8,870) and Victoria (8,670).

2.1 Population characteristics - 2006
			Murray-Darling Basin						Australia
			NSW	Vic.	Qld	SA	ACT	Total MDB
Area covered(a) (km2)			597 926	129 761	259 313	69 216	2 354	1 058 549	7 672 645
Population density (persons/km2)			1.3	4.4	0.8	1.6	137.1	1.9	2.6
Indigenous status
	Non-Indigenous
		Number (no.)	695 330	543 120	198 500	104 510	304 510	1 845 970	18 266 810
		Percent (%)	89.6	94.3	91.3	93.1	94.2	92.1	92.0
	Indigenous
		Number (no.)	45 650	8 670	8 870	2 500	3 850	69 530	455 030
		Percent (%)	5.9	1.5	4.1	2.2	1.2	3.5	2.3
	Not stated
		Number (no.)	34 670	24 190	9 940	5 290	14 970	89 050	1 133 450
		Percent (%)	4.5	4.2	4.6	4.7	4.6	4.4	5.7
Total Population(b) (no.)			775 640	575 980	217 310	112 300	323 330	2 004 560	19 855 290
State/territory population as a proportion of MDB population (%)			38.7	28.7	10.8	5.6	16.1	100.0	. .
. . not applicable
(a) BRS data, available on request, 2008.
(b) Components may not add to total due to rounding.
Source: ABS data available on request, ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006; BRS data available on request, 2008

Overall, the MDB is sparsely populated with an average density of 1.9 persons per square kilometre, well below the national rate of 2.6 persons per square kilometre. The Australian Capital Territory (comprising mainly the city of Canberra) had the highest population density of 137 persons per square kilometre. Besides Victoria (4.4 persons per square kilometre), the population density in the other Basin states were all below the national average, reflecting that much of the area covered is classified as regional or remote.

Map 2.2 below shows the population density of the MDB in 2006 by Census Collection District (see map E.1 of the Expanatory Notes).

Urban Centres

Table 2.3 lists the 11 largest urban centres in the MDB (those with a population of 25,000 and over) in 2006. These centres were home to more than 830,000 people (as reported in the Census) or around two-fifths of the Basin's population. Canberra, with the adjoining New South Wales town of Queanbeyan, is the largest urban centre in the MDB, with a population of more than 350,000 people, or 18% of the Basin's population. Other major urban centres, with a population of more than 50,000 were: Toowoomba in Queensland (84,850), Bendigo in Victoria (76,050) and the adjoining towns of Albury-Wodonga in New South Wales and Victoria (73,500).

2.3 Population of major urban centres(a) - Murray-Darling Basin - 2006
	State/territory	Population	Urban centre as a proportion of MDB population
		no.	%
Canberra-Queanbeyan	NSW/ACT	356 120	17.8
Toowoomba	Qld	84 850	4.2
Bendigo	Vic.	76 050	3.8
Albury-Wodonga	NSW/Vic.	73 500	3.7
Wagga-Wagga	NSW	46 740	2.3
Shepparton-Morroopna	Vic.	38 770	1.9
Tamworth	NSW	33 480	1.7
Orange	NSW	31 550	1.6
Dubbo	NSW	30 570	1.5
Mildura	Vic.	30 020	1.5
Bathurst	NSW	28 990	1.4
(a) Towns with population 25,000 or more.
Source: ABS data available on request, ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2006

Remoteness

The Australian Standard Geographical Classification classifies remoteness areas into five categories; major cities, inner regional, outer regional, remote and very remote areas. The classification is based on the road distance to different sized population centres, where the population size is considered to govern the range and type of services available. For further information see Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) 2001 (cat. no. 1216.0)

In 2006, the distribution of the MDB population by remoteness was quite different from that of Australia. In Australia, the majority of people were located in the major cities (68% of the total population), while in the MDB the majority of people lived in inner and outer regional areas (53% and 26% respectively) (graph 2.4).

Population growth

The change in size and distribution of population has implications for service provision and delivery in areas such as health, education, housing and social welfare. Population increase, especially in the urban centres, also places pressure on water supplies and infrastructure.

Between 1996 and 2006, the number of people living in the Basin rose by 5% - this was well below the national growth rate of 12%. Much of the growth in the MDB occurred between 2001 and 2006 when the population rose by 4% compared to less than 1% between 1996 and 2001.

Population growth was observed in all Basin states between 1996 and 2006, although New South Wales experienced a decline in population (more than 1%) between 1996 and 2001. South Australia experienced the largest growth (12%) between 1996 and 2006, similar to the national rate. The Australian Capital Territory and Queensland both experienced increases of 9% (table 2.5).

2.5 Population change - Murray-Darling Basin - 1996-2006
	Population			Change
	1996	2001	2006	1996-2001	2001-2006	1996-2006
	no.	no.	no.	%	%	%
New South Wales	765 690	755 010	775 640	-1.4	2.7	1.3
Victoria	542 770	550 700	575 980	1.5	4.6	6.1
Queensland	199 750	204 420	217 310	2.3	6.3	8.8
South Australia	100 210	103 530	112 300	3.3	8.5	12.1
Australian Capital Territory	297 180	308 180	323 330	3.7	4.9	8.8
Murray-Darling Basin	1 905 600	1 921 840	2 004 560	0.9	4.3	5.2
Total Australia	17 752 830	18 769 250	19 855 290	5.7	5.8	11.8
Source: ABS data available on request, ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996, 2001 and 2006

The Basin's largest population growth occurred in the major urban centres, particularly those located in Victoria, namely, Bendigo (27% increase between 1996 and 2006), Mildura (25%) and Shepparton-Moroopna (22%). Other significant growth in the Basin was observed in Toowoomba (13%), Bathurst (12%) and Canberra-Queanbeyan (11%) (table 2.6).

2.6 Population change, Major urban centres(a) - Murray-Darling Basin - 1996-2006
	State/territory	Population			Change
		1996	2001	2006	1996-2001	2001-2006	1996-2006
		no.	no.	no.	%	%	%
Canberra-Queanbeyan	NSW/ACT	320 610	327 230	356 120	2.1	8.8	11.1
Toowoomba	Qld	75 050	77 640	84 850	3.5	9.3	13.1
Bendigo	Vic.	59 830	66 930	76 050	11.5	13.6	27.1
Albury-Wodonga	NSW/Vic.	67 190	67 620	73 500	0.6	8.7	9.4
Wagga-Wagga	NSW	42 770	42 840	46 740	0.2	9.1	9.3
Shepparton-Morroopna	Vic.	31 900	34 960	38 770	9.6	10.9	21.6
Tamworth	NSW	31 800	31 240	33 480	-1.8	7.2	5.3
Orange	NSW	30 660	31 000	31 550	1.1	1.8	2.9
Dubbo	NSW	30 060	29 610	30 570	-1.5	3.2	1.7
Mildura	Vic.	24 100	26 460	30 020	9.8	13.5	24.6
Bathurst	NSW	25 960	26 040	28 990	0.3	11.3	11.7
(a) Towns with population of 25,000 or more.
Source: ABS data available on request, ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996, 2001 and 2006

Analysing population changes by remoteness area shows population declines in the outer regional (4% decrease between 1996 and 2006), remote (16%) and very remote (41%) areas of the Basin. There were corresponding population increases in inner regional areas and major cities (table 2.7).

2.7 Population change, by remoteness area - Murray-Darling Basin - 1996-2006
	Population			Change
	1996	2001	2006	1996-2001	2001-2006	1996-2006
	no.	no.	no.	%	%	%
Major cities	324 940	349 370	358 560	7.5	2.6	10.3
Inner regional	958 530	975 110	1 059 260	1.7	8.6	10.5
Outer regional	548 060	525 180	527 880	-4.2	0.5	-3.7
Remote	60 580	58 120	50 910	-4.1	-12.4	-16.0
Very remote	13 500	13 890	7 950	2.9	-42.8	-41.1
Source: ABS data available on request, ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996, 2001 and 2006

Age and sex distribution

In 2006, there were 19,500 more females in the MDB than males (as reported in the Census), resulting in a sex ratio of 98.1 (number of males per 100 females). There were 9,800 more males than females aged 14 years and under while the number of males aged 65 years and over was 26,300, or 20% lower than the number of females in this group (graph 2.8). The number of females in the 15-64 year range was slightly higher than the number of males (3,000).

The age structure of the population impacts on requirements for service provision and labour force participation. Australia's ageing population has implications for health services, housing, and the capacity for people to contribute to community life. The relative supply of labour will decline and the average age of the workforce will increase (BRS 2008b).

In line with the national trend, the Basin's population is ageing (as shown in graph 2.9 below), largely due to the combination of lower fertility rates and increasing life expectancy. In 1996, children aged 0-14 years represented 21% of the Basin's population, those aged 15-64 years represented 65% and those aged 65 years and over represented 15%. Although the Basin's population has continued to grow since 1996, the proportion of the population in the older age groups increased while the proportion in younger age groups declined (graph 2.9). For example, between 1996 and 2006, the proportion of children aged 0-14 years in the MDB decreased by 4 percentage points while the proportion of people aged 65 years and over increased by 3 percentage points.

The change in the age structure can be summarised by the change in the median age. In 2006, the median age of the MDB's population was 38 years, similar to the national median age of 37 years. The median age of the Basin's population has increased by 5 years since 1996 and about 2 years since 2001.


Living arrangements - households and families

Families provide emotional, physical and financial care and support to their members and are often the basis on which government assistance is determined and administered. Australians have traditionally experienced three main living arrangements over a lifecycle: living with parents, living with a partner (for some of this period with children) and living alone in old age if that partner died. Now and into the future, living arrangements throughout a lifecycle may also include living alone or in a group household before perhaps forming a long-term partnership, or living as a lone parent or alone after divorce or separation. These changes in living arrangements and family characteristics are the outcome of various demographic and social trends, such as declining fertility, increased rates of divorce and longer life expectancy (ABS 2005).

Table 2.10 and graph 2.11 show the living arrangements by household type and family type in the MDB. In 2006, there were nearly 780,000 households in the Basin (as reported in the Census) with an average size of 2.4 persons per household (a slight decrease from 2.6 in 1996).

More than two-thirds (68%) of households in the Basin were single family households and a quarter (25%) were lone or single person households. These were slightly higher than the equivalent Australian proportions (67% single family, 23% lone person).

The proportion of single family households decreased by almost 4 percentage points between 1996 and 2006 in the MDB (similar to the decline for Australia as a whole), while the proportion of lone person households increased by 2 percentage points during the same period (compared to an increase of 0.8 percentage points for Australia).

2.10 Household characteristics(a) - 1996 and 2006
		Murray-Darling Basin		Australia
		1996	2006	1996	2006
Total number of households (no.)		684 940	778 980	6 374 870	7 463 790
Total number of persons (no.)		1 807 180	1 903 080	16 967 760	19 022 540
Average number of persons/ household (persons/household)		2.6	2.4	2.7	2.5
Single family household
	Number (no.)	491 720	529 790	4 512 470	5 029 520
	Proportion of total households (%)	71.8	68.0	70.8	67.4
Multi-family household
	Number (no.)	4 280	6 150	70 530	93 240
	Proportion of total households (%)	0.6	0.8	1.1	1.2
Lone person household
	Number (no.)	157 720	195 050	1 432 820	1 740 480
	Proportion of total households (%)	23.0	25.0	22.5	23.3
Group household
	Number (no.)	24 170	24 940	266 000	280 850
	Proportion of total households (%)	3.5	3.2	4.2	3.8
Other not classifiable
	Number (no.)	7 060	23 050	93 060	319 700
	Proportion of total households (%)	1.0	3.0	1.5	4.3
(a) Occupied private dwellings only. Excludes overseas visitors and persons with no usual address.
Source: ABS data available on request, ABS Census of Population and Housing, 1996 and 2006

Overall, an increase in the number of families in the MDB would be expected from overall population increase. However, over the last decade, there have been changes in the relative proportions of family types in the MDB. Couple families with children were the most common type of family in the MDB, although, as a proportion of all families, they have decreased from 49% in 1996 to 43% in 2006 (table 2.11). Over the same period, the proportion of couple families without children increased by 5 percentage points while one parent families increased by 1 percentage point.

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