3.1 POPULATION GROWTH

The most commonly raised population issue – reported by 45 regions – was a current or predicted rapid growth in population. Forty-one RDA committees reported concern about the strain a rapidly increasing population would place on infrastructure and service provision, including housing, transport, health, education and water. The potential impact of urban expansion on the natural environment, amenity and the availability of agricultural land was also frequently raised.

Uneven distribution of population growth, both geographically and seasonally, was an issue raised by thirteen RDA committees. Some committees reported that expected growth in regional centres coupled with decline in smaller communities would lead to a withdrawal of services and an increase in disadvantage in those small towns. Some committees also reported that seasonal variations in population, mainly due to fly-in, fly-out workers or a high number of tourists in summer, put further pressure on local facilities and services (for example, RDA Midwest Gascoyne, 2011, p. 46).