Using the Census to help Regional Victoria
The Department of Infrastructure in Victoria has recently released a set of publications titled Towns in Time: Analysis and Data, Census Statistics for Victoria's Towns and Rural Areas. Using ABS Census data spanning 15 years, the publications have been specifically created for users of data from non-metropolitan areas of Victoria.
Data has been extracted from 1981 through 1996 Censuses of Population and Housing. Split into two volumes for easy use, information is provided on Victoria's 308 towns, 52 'rural' balances of local government areas, and the eight Murray Valley local government areas of New South Wales.
Some of the key variables identified for each of the regions are age structure, income, religion, household size and industry data.
Here are just two of the major highlights from Towns in Time for regional Victoria:
- there have been strong rates of population growth in coastal areas, especially those along the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf and Bass Coasts. This growth is based almost exclusively around the ageing of the population and the growth of 'lifestylers’;
- population decreases have been recorded throughout the 1981-96 period in the dry-land farming areas and small service towns in the west of the state. Nevertheless, population in the larger centres of Warrnambool, Mildura and Horsham have all increased.
The publications offer quick comparisons between the sizes of different towns in the region or local government area. They also provide useful information for infrastructure and service planning at the local level.
To order your copy of the Towns in Time publication set, tick the box on the order form, visit the ABS Bookshop in your state/territory (ABS Cat. no. 8912.2), or contact the Department of Infrastructure's Bookshop on (03) 9655 8830.
Further information on regional Victoria is available from the ABS Consultancy Service in your state/territory.
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