MAIN FEATURES



Population change

State and territory highlights

Capital city growth

Inner city growth

Outer suburban growth

Urban infill

Growth along the coast

Growth in inland areas

Population declines

Population changes by Remoteness Areas

Population density

Centre of population

POPULATION CHANGE

Australia's estimated resident population (ERP) reached 21.96 million at 30 June 2009, increasing by 456,700 people since 30 June 2008. The 2008-09 growth rate of 2.1% was higher than the average annual growth rate of 1.8% for the five years to June 2009.

All states and territories experienced population growth in 2008-09 with the largest population increases continuing to be recorded in Australia's three most populous states. New South Wales experienced the greatest growth (up by 119,500 people), followed by Queensland (116,500) and Victoria (116,300). This was the first year since 2000-01 that any state overtook Queensland as the largest growing state.

For the third consecutive year, Western Australia recorded the fastest population growth rate at 3.1% in 2008-09, ahead of Queensland (2.7%), the Northern Territory (2.5%) and Victoria (2.2%). The remaining states and territories had population growth rates below the Australian average, with Tasmania experiencing the slowest growth at 1.1%.

Population growth continued to be most prominent in inner city areas, outer suburbs, urban infill areas and along the coast. Areas that have seen decline include inland, rural areas that have been affected by drought in the last few years or mining areas.

The following commentary refers mainly to population changes in Local Government Areas (LGAs), however in some cases selected Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) are referred to, particularly where LGAs cover multiple SLAs, such as in Brisbane (C), or don't exist, such as in the Australian Capital Territory.

STATE AND TERRITORY HIGHLIGHTS

New South Wales

• New South Wales had the largest growth (119,500 people) of all Australian states and territories in 2008-09.
• In 2008-09, nine of the ten fastest growing LGAs in New South Wales were within the Sydney SD, including the adjacent LGAs of Canada Bay (A) (4.7%) and Strathfield (A) (3.4%) in the inner west, and Auburn (A) (3.7%) in central western Sydney.

Victoria

• Melbourne SD's growth of 93,500 people was the largest of all the Australian capital city SDs in 2008-09.
• The LGA of Wyndham (C), located on the western suburban fringe of Melbourne SD, experienced the largest and fastest growth (10,800 people or 8.1%) of all Victorian LGAs.
• The fastest population growth outside of the Melbourne SD occurred in the coastal LGA of Surf Coast (S) (3.9%).

Queensland

• Queensland had the second largest growth of all states and territories in 2008-09 (116,500 people).
• The three most populous LGAs in Australia, Brisbane (C), Gold Coast (C) and Moreton Bay (R), recorded the largest increases in population in 2008-09. Brisbane (C) increased by 21,200 people, the Gold Coast (C) increased by 15,600 people, and Moreton Bay (R) by 13,300 people.
• Outside of south-east Queensland, the LGA of Townsville (C) reported the largest growth in the year to June 2009, with an increase of 5,600 people (3.2%).

South Australia

• Copper Coast (DC), on the northern Yorke Peninsula, and Playford (C), in the northern suburbs of the Adelaide SD, were the two fastest-growing LGAs in the state, increasing by 3.2% and 2.8% respectively.
• During 2008-09 the two LGAs with the largest population growth in the state were Salisbury (C) in the northern suburbs of the Adelaide SD, which increased by 2,500 people, followed by Onkaparinga (C) in Adelaide's southern suburbs, which increased by 2,300 people.

Western Australia

• Western Australia again had the fastest growth of all states and territories.
• Strong population growth continued in the outer suburban fringes of the Perth SD.
• Outside Perth, the South West SD was the state's fastest growing region (4.0%), followed by the Pilbara (3.1%).

Tasmania

• Tasmania's population grew by 5,400 people in 2008-09 to 503,300. All four Tasmanian SDs experienced population growth.
• Brighton (M) in the south and Latrobe (M) in the north were the fastest growing LGAs. The LGAs with the largest growth were Kingborough (M), Brighton (M) and Clarence (C) in the south, all within commuting distance of Hobart.

Northern Territory

• Palmerston (C) had the fastest population growth (4.4%) of all Northern Territory LGAs in 2008-09.
• Outside of Darwin SD, the fastest growing LGAs were Roper Gulf (S) (2.5%), Victoria-Daly (S) (2.2%), West Arnhem (S) and East Arnhem (S) (both 2.1%).

Australian Capital Territory

• In 2008-09, population growth was largest in northern suburban Canberra, especially in the SLAs of Amaroo (600 people), Franklin (560) and Harrison (530).
• For the second year in a row, the population in the north of the Territory exceeded that in the south.

CAPITAL CITY GROWTH

At 30 June 2009, more than 14.0 million people, close to two-thirds of Australia's population, resided in a capital city Statistical Division (SD). The combined population of capital city SDs increased by 310,200 in the 12 months to June 2009.

In 2008-09, Melbourne recorded the largest growth of all capital city SDs, increasing by 93,500 people, followed by Sydney (85,400), Perth (52,200) and Brisbane (52,100). The population growth in Melbourne SD equated to an average increase of almost 1,800 people per week, while the population of Sydney SD increased by over 1,600 people per week.

Population growth in Australia's capital city SDs occurred at a rate of 2.3% in 2008-09, faster than that in the remainder of Australia (1.9%). Greater Hobart had the lowest growth rate at 1.2%.

The growth rates experienced in all capital city SDs for 2008-09 were higher than their average annual growth rates over the five years to June 2009.

INNER CITY GROWTH

The LGAs with the largest and fastest population increases in Australia in 2008-09 were both inner-city LGAs. The largest increase (21,200 people) occurred in Brisbane (C), Australia's most populous capital city LGA. Perth (C) was Australia's fastest-growing LGA, increasing in population from 15,200 to 17,100 people, an annual growth rate of 12.8%. This is the sixth consecutive year in which Perth (C) has been the fastest-growing capital city LGA.

The 2008-09 growth rates in the capital city LGAs of Melbourne (C) (4.0%), Sydney (C) (2.6%) and Adelaide (C) (2.4%) were lower than their average annual growth rates over the five years to June 2009. Construction of multistorey apartment buildings in these capital city LGAs had led to higher rates of population growth three or more years earlier.

In contrast, the 2008-09 growth rates in the capital city LGAs of Perth (C), Brisbane (C) and Darwin (C) were higher than their average annual growth rates over the five years to June 2009.

OUTER SUBURBAN GROWTH

Many LGAs which experienced large and/or rapid growth were located on or near the boundaries of capital city SDs, where more land tends to be available for subdivision and housing development. In the Melbourne SD, the population in the outer-suburban LGA of Wyndham (C) increased by 10,800 (8.1%) in the 12 months to June 2009, which was both the largest and fastest increase of all Victorian LGAs. Strong growth was also experienced in Casey (C) (up 8,400 people or 3.5%) and Melton (S) (7,300 people or 7.9%).

The LGAs of Wanneroo (C) and Stirling (C), on the northern and north-western outskirts of the Perth SD recorded strong growth, increasing by 9,500 and 5,000 people respectively. Wanneroo (C) also had the second-highest growth rate (7.1%) of all outer-suburban LGAs in the Perth SD, behind Serpentine-Jarrahdale (S) (7.6%) in the south-east.

In the Brisbane SD, the largest growth occurred in the outer suburban SLAs of Ipswich (C) - East (4,300 people), Ipswich (C) - Central (2,700) and Griffin-Mango Hill (1,800) in the Moreton Bay (R) LGA.

Three of the LGAs with the largest population increases in New South Wales were outer-suburban Blacktown (C) (up 6,900 people), The Hills Shire (A) (4,800) and Liverpool (C) (4,600).

Outer-suburban areas in the smaller capital city SDs also experienced some of the strongest growth in their states or territories. The Adelaide LGAs of Salisbury (C), Onkaparinga (C) and Playford (C) recorded the largest population increases of all LGAs in South Australia in 2008-09, increasing by 2,500, 2,300 and 2,100 people respectively. On the outskirts of Darwin, the population in Palmerston (C) increased by 1,200 (4.4%) and in Litchfield (M) by 500 (2.8%). In Greater Hobart, the outer LGA of Kingborough (M) increased by 650 people, the largest increase in Tasmania; and in Canberra, the SLAs of Amaroo and Franklin had the largest growth, increasing by 600 (9.5%) and 560 people (184.5%) respectively. The nearby SLA of Harrison also had large and rapid growth increasing by 530 people (14.5%) in 2008-09.

URBAN INFILL

Urban infill is the development of a site within an already-developed area, either by building housing on land that was previously vacant or used for non-residential purposes, or by replacing low-density housing with higher-density dwellings. Infill development is becoming more common on transport corridors, near commercial hubs and in suburbs where there are older houses on large blocks of land.

In 2008-09, urban infill contributed to a large population increase in Parramatta (C) and Canada Bay (A) in western Sydney, where the population increased by 4,800 and 3,400 respectively. Other areas where urban infill was evident include the southern Perth LGAs of Armadale (C), up 4.6%, and Cockburn (C) where the population grew by 4.5%.

GROWTH ALONG THE COAST

Outside of capital city SDs, the largest population growth generally occurred along the Australian coast in 2008-09. Several LGAs on Queensland's seaboard had large population increases including the Gold Coast (C) (up 15,600 people) and Sunshine Coast (R) (9,600) in south-east Queensland, and Townsville (C) (5,600) and Cairns (R) (5,200) in the north.

Lake Macquarie (C), on the coast to the north of Sydney, had the largest population growth in New South Wales outside of the Sydney SD, increasing by 2,900 people.

Many coastal LGAs in Western Australia were also among the fastest-growing in Australia. Rapid population growth occurred in 2008-09 in the LGAs of Capel (S) (6.0%), Mandurah (C) (5.1%) and Port Hedland (T) (4.9%).


GROWTH IN INLAND AREAS

Some LGAs in inland areas outside of capital city SDs also experienced rapid growth in the 12 months to June 2009. Murray (S), which is north of the Perth SD experienced the fastest increase of all inland LGAs (up 6.5%), followed by Chittering (S) (5.5%) then Katanning (S) (5.0%). Inland areas of Queensland that experienced rapid growth include Lockyer Valley (R) (4.6%) and Somerset (R) (4.5%), to the west and north-west of Brisbane respectively.

POPULATION DECLINES

Population losses in 2008-09 mainly occurred in inland rural Australia, particularly in north-eastern and south-eastern parts of Australia and in rural Western Australia.

The LGA of Murrindindi (S) in Victoria experienced a substantial population decline in the year to June 2009 (1,000 people or 7.1%) largely due to the bushfires that occurred in February 2009.

Other LGAs with large population declines were Mt Isa (C) (down 160 people) in Queensland, Broken Hill (C) (130) in New South Wales, and Coolgardie (S) (130) and Ravensthorpe (S) (110) in Western Australia. These LGAs all have a strong association with mining activity.

The fastest declines in population (excluding LGAs with populations less than 2,000 as at June 2008) also occurred in Raventhorpe (S) and Coolgardie (S), with declines of 4.2% and 3.1% respectively. These were followed by the LGAs of Kojonup (S) in south eastern Western Australia (2.1%) and Peterborough (DC) in South Australia (1.6%).

POPULATION CHANGE BY REMOTENESS AREAS

As at June 2009, 68.6% of the population resided in Australia's major cities, as defined in the Remoteness Structure of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (cat. no. 1216.0). In comparison, just 2.3% lived in remote or very remote Australia. Major cities were the fastest-growing remoteness areas (RAs) in Australia (2.2%) in the 12 months to June 2009, followed by Inner Regional areas (2.1%). The remaining RAs grew slower than Australia as a whole (2.1%), with remote areas growing at the slowest rate (0.9%).

The Australian Capital Territory had the greatest proportion of its population living in the major cities RA (99.9%) while Tasmania had the highest percentage (64.7%) living in inner regional Australia, which includes Hobart. The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of its population living in outer regional Australia (55.7%), which includes Darwin, as well as remote (21.4%) and very remote (22.9%) Australia.

In 2008-09, major cities were the fastest-growing RAs in Victoria (2.4%) and New South Wales (1.9%), while inner regional areas were the fastest-growing in the Australia Capital Territory (4.8%), Western Australia (4.7%), Queensland (2.9%) and South Australia (1.6%). Outer regional RAs experienced the fastest growth in the Northern Territory (3.1%) and Tasmania (1.2%).

ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION BY REMOTENESS STRUCTURE(a)
		ERP at 30 June		Change
		2008r	2009p	2008r-09p
		no.	no.	no.	%
New South Wales
	Major Cities of Australia	5 105 986	5 201 146	95 160	1.9
	Inner Regional Australia	1 423 959	1 444 271	20 312	1.4
	Outer Regional Australia	447 594	451 563	3 969	0.9
	Remote Australia	32 853	32 948	95	0.3
	Very Remote Australia	4 495	4 493	-2	-
	Total	7 014 887	7 134 421	119 534	1.7
Victoria
	Major Cities of Australia	3 996 729	4 091 159	94 430	2.4
	Inner Regional Australia	1 069 936	1 089 049	19 113	1.8
	Outer Regional Australia	255 577	258 287	2 710	1.1
	Remote Australia	4 736	4 733	-3	-0.1
	Total	5 326 978	5 443 228	116 250	2.2
Queensland
	Major Cities of Australia	2 573 616	2 644 501	70 885	2.8
	Inner Regional Australia	943 299	970 988	27 689	2.9
	Outer Regional Australia	655 303	672 888	17 585	2.7
	Remote Australia	86 153	86 525	372	0.4
	Very Remote Australia	50 199	50 201	2	-
	Total	4 308 570	4 425 103	116 533	2.7
South Australia
	Major Cities of Australia	1 166 185	1 181 119	14 934	1.3
	Inner Regional Australia	195 372	198 510	3 138	1.6
	Outer Regional Australia	182 697	183 812	1 115	0.6
	Remote Australia	45 814	46 176	362	0.8
	Very Remote Australia	13 917	13 973	56	0.4
	Total	1 603 985	1 623 590	19 605	1.2
Western Australia
	Major Cities of Australia	1 550 727	1 599 060	48 333	3.1
	Inner Regional Australia	282 945	296 249	13 304	4.7
	Outer Regional Australia	199 171	203 221	4 050	2.0
	Remote Australia	95 935	97 411	1 476	1.5
	Very Remote Australia	48 202	49 116	914	1.9
	Total	2 176 980	2 245 057	68 077	3.1
Tasmania
	Inner Regional Australia	322 171	325 487	3 316	1.0
	Outer Regional Australia	165 375	167 378	2 003	1.2
	Remote Australia	7 753	7 830	77	1.0
	Very Remote Australia	2 623	2 597	-26	-1.0
	Total	497 922	503 292	5 370	1.1
Northern Territory
	Outer Regional Australia	122 066	125 817	3 751	3.1
	Remote Australia	47 839	48 408	569	1.2
	Very Remote Australia	50 598	51 713	1 115	2.2
	Total	220 503	225 938	5 435	2.5
Australian Capital Territory
	Major Cities of Australia	345 799	351 670	5 871	1.7
	Inner Regional Australia	495	519	24	4.8
	Total	346 294	352 189	5 895	1.7
Australia(b)
	Major Cities of Australia	14 739 042	15 068 655	329 613	2.2
	Inner Regional Australia	4 238 568	4 325 467	86 899	2.1
	Outer Regional Australia	2 027 783	2 062 966	35 183	1.7
	Remote Australia	321 083	324 031	2 948	0.9
	Very Remote Australia	172 064	174 137	2 073	1.2
	Total	21 498 540	21 955 256	456 716	2.1
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) See paragraphs 21 to 23 and paragraph 30 of the Explanatory Notes.
(b) Includes Other Territories.

POPULATION DENSITY

Population density varies greatly across Australia, ranging from very low in remote areas to very high in inner-city areas. Australia's population density at June 2009 was 2.9 people per square kilometre (sq km). Among the states and territories, the Australian Capital Territory had the highest population density at 149.8 people per sq km, followed by Victoria with 23.9, New South Wales with 8.9 and Tasmania with 7.4. The remaining states and territories all had population densities below the Australian average, with the Northern Territory having the lowest at just 0.2 people per sq km.

Population density at June 2009 was highest in capital city SDs, particularly in the Sydney SD. Six of the top ten most densely-populated SLAs were located in the Sydney SD, including Sydney (C) - East, which had the highest population density in Australia (8,700 people per sq km), the neighbouring Sydney (C) - West (7,700) and Waverley (A) (7,400), which is located just east of the Sydney (C) LGA and contains the beach-side suburbs of Bondi and Bronte.

Within the Melbourne SD, the SLAs with the greatest population densities were Melbourne (C) - Inner (7,800 people per sq km) and nearby Port Phillip (C) - St Kilda (6,300). In the Brisbane SD, New Farm (5,800) and Kangaroo Point (5,600) had the highest population densities.

At the other end of the scale, there were over 240 SLAs in Australia which had population densities of less than one person per sq km at June 2009, almost one-third of which were located in Western Australia.

CENTRE OF POPULATION

The centre of population is one way in which the spatial distribution of Australia's population can be described. This point marks the average latitude and longitude around which the population is distributed.

Australia's centre of population at June 2009 was located approximately 48 kilometres east of the small service town of Ivanhoe, in the western New South Wales LGA of Central Darling (A). The centre of population moved approximately 12.1 kilometres north-west in the five years from June 2004 to June 2009. This shift reflects increased population growth in northern New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.

ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, States and Territories - Capital City and Balance of State/Territory
		ERP at 30 June		Change
		2008r	2009p	2008r-09p
Part of S/T		no.	no.	no.	%
New South Wales
	Sydney SD	4 419 075	4 504 469	85 394	1.9
	Balance of state	2 595 812	2 629 952	34 140	1.3
	Total	7 014 887	7 134 421	119 534	1.7
Victoria
	Melbourne SD	3 902 059	3 995 537	93 478	2.4
	Balance of state	1 424 919	1 447 691	22 772	1.6
	Total	5 326 978	5 443 228	116 250	2.2
Queensland
	Brisbane SD	1 952 158	2 004 262	52 104	2.7
	Balance of state	2 356 412	2 420 841	64 429	2.7
	Total	4 308 570	4 425 103	116 533	2.7
South Australia
	Adelaide SD	1 172 559	1 187 466	14 907	1.3
	Balance of state	431 426	436 124	4 698	1.1
	Total	1 603 985	1 623 590	19 605	1.2
Western Australia
	Perth SD	1 606 827	1 658 992	52 165	3.2
	Balance of state	570 153	586 065	15 912	2.8
	Total	2 176 980	2 245 057	68 077	3.1
Tasmania
	Hobart SD	209 451	212 019	2 568	1.2
	Balance of state	288 471	291 273	2 802	1.0
	Total	497 922	503 292	5 370	1.1
Northern Territory
	Darwin SD	121 027	124 760	3 733	3.1
	Balance of territory	99 476	101 178	1 702	1.7
	Total	220 503	225 938	5 435	2.5
Australian Capital Territory
	Canberra SD	345 999	351 868	5 869	1.7
	Balance of territory	295	321	26	8.8
	Total	346 294	352 189	5 895	1.7
Other Territories		2 421	2 438	17	0.7
Australia
	Capital City	13 729 155	14 039 373	310 218	2.3
	Balance of Australia(a)	7 769 385	7 915 883	146 498	1.9
	Total	21 498 540	21 955 256	456 716	2.1
(a) Includes Other Territories.

LGAs WITH LARGEST POPULATION CHANGES IN 2008-09
		ERP at 30 June		Change
		2008r	2009p	2008r-09p
National rank & LGA(a)	Part of S/T	no.	no.	no.	%
LARGEST INCREASES
1 Brisbane (C)	Brisbane	1 031 297	1 052 458	21 161	2.1
2 Gold Coast (C)	Qld Bal	499 514	515 157	15 643	3.1
3 Moreton Bay (R)	Brisbane	357 902	371 162	13 260	3.7
4 Wyndham (C)	Melbourne	133 121	143 879	10 758	8.1
5 Sunshine Coast (R)	Qld Bal	313 851	323 423	9 572	3.0
6 Wanneroo (C)	Perth	134 615	144 148	9 533	7.1
7 Casey (C)	Melbourne	238 927	247 357	8 430	3.5
8 Ipswich (C)	Brisbane	154 669	162 383	7 714	5.0
9 Melton (S)	Melbourne	92 694	100 000	7 306	7.9
10 Blacktown (C)	Sydney	292 895	299 797	6 902	2.4
11 Logan (C)	Brisbane	270 888	277 568	6 680	2.5
12 Whittlesea (C)	Melbourne	139 595	146 132	6 537	4.7
13 Townsville (C)	Qld Bal	176 137	181 743	5 606	3.2
14 Cairns (R)	Qld Bal	159 184	164 356	5 172	3.2
15 Stirling (C)	Perth	193 815	198 803	4 988	2.6
16 Hume (C)	Melbourne	162 661	167 540	4 879	3.0
17 Parramatta (C)	Sydney	162 625	167 431	4 806	3.0
18 The Hills Shire (A)	Sydney	171 717	176 487	4 770	2.8
19 Liverpool (C)	Sydney	177 682	182 261	4 579	2.6
20 Sydney (C)	Sydney	173 444	177 920	4 476	2.6
21 Swan (C)	Perth	105 713	110 051	4 338	4.1
22 Brimbank (C)	Melbourne	181 564	185 890	4 326	2.4
23 Cardinia (S)	Melbourne	64 469	68 641	4 172	6.5
24 Greater Geelong (C)	Vic. Bal	212 367	216 330	3 963	1.9
25 Rockingham (C)	Perth	96 324	100 231	3 907	4.1
LARGEST DECLINES
1 Murrindindi (S)	Vic. Bal	14 405	13 377	-1 028	-7.1
2 Mount Isa (C)	Qld Bal	21 993	21 838	-155	-0.7
3 Broken Hill (C)	NSW Bal	20 089	19 960	-129	-0.6
4 Coolgardie (S)	WA Bal	4 094	3 968	-126	-3.1
5 Ravensthorpe (S)	WA Bal	2 508	2 402	-106	-4.2
6 Brewarrina (A)	NSW Bal	1 992	1 911	-81	-4.1
7 Wentworth (A)	NSW Bal	7 190	7 127	-63	-0.9
8 Waroona (S)	WA Bal	3 824	3 772	-52	-1.4
9 Torres (S)	Qld Bal	3 690	3 642	-48	-1.3
10 Berri and Barmera (DC)	SA Bal	11 288	11 240	-48	-0.4
11 Kojonup (S)	WA Bal	2 275	2 228	-47	-2.1
12 Flinders Ranges (DC)	SA Bal	1 828	1 784	-44	-2.4
13 Cunderdin (S)	WA Bal	1 301	1 263	-38	-2.9
14 Flinders (S)	Qld Bal	1 870	1 834	-36	-1.9
15 Bourke (A)	NSW Bal	3 105	3 070	-35	-1.1
16 Hay (A)	NSW Bal	3 404	3 370	-34	-1.0
17 Peterborough (DC)	SA Bal	2 005	1 973	-32	-1.6
18 Barcaldine (R)	Qld Bal	3 406	3 376	-30	-0.9
19 Coober Pedy (DC)	SA Bal	1 943	1 913	-30	-1.5
20 Loxton Waikerie (DC)	SA Bal	12 073	12 043	-30	-0.2
21 Merredin (S)	WA Bal	3 392	3 362	-30	-0.9
22 Harden (A)	NSW Bal	3 652	3 624	-28	-0.8
23 Cloncurry (S)	Qld Bal	3 406	3 380	-26	-0.8
24 Gnowangerup (S)	WA Bal	1 419	1 393	-26	-1.8
25 Carnamah (S)	WA Bal	788	763	-25	-3.2
(a) National rank based on population change between June 2008 and June 2009.

LGAs WITH FASTEST POPULATION CHANGES IN 2008-09
		ERP at 30 June		Change
		2008r	2009p	2008r-09p
National rank & LGA(a)	Part of S/T	no.	no.	no.	%
FASTEST INCREASES
1 Perth (C)	Perth	15 153	17 093	1 940	12.8
2 Wyndham (C)	Melbourne	133 121	143 879	10 758	8.1
3 Melton (S)	Melbourne	92 694	100 000	7 306	7.9
4 Serpentine-Jarrahdale (S)	Perth	15 322	16 492	1 170	7.6
5 Wanneroo (C)	Perth	134 615	144 148	9 533	7.1
6 Murray (S)	WA Bal	13 862	14 763	901	6.5
7 Cardinia (S)	Melbourne	64 469	68 641	4 172	6.5
8 Capel (S)	WA Bal	11 967	12 687	720	6.0
9 Kwinana (T)	Perth	26 457	28 044	1 587	6.0
10 Chittering (S)	WA Bal	4 087	4 310	223	5.5
11 Mandurah (C)	WA Bal	64 960	68 269	3 309	5.1
12 Katanning (S)	WA Bal	4 430	4 653	223	5.0
13 Ipswich (C)	Brisbane	154 669	162 383	7 714	5.0
14 Port Hedland (T)	WA Bal	13 411	14 072	661	4.9
15 Canada Bay (A)	Sydney	72 580	75 999	3 419	4.7
16 Whittlesea (C)	Melbourne	139 595	146 132	6 537	4.7
17 Armadale (C)	Perth	55 580	58 153	2 573	4.6
18 Lockyer Valley (R)	Qld Bal	34 060	35 633	1 573	4.6
19 Cockburn (C)	Perth	84 878	88 702	3 824	4.5
20 Somerset (R)	Qld Bal	20 683	21 608	925	4.5
21 East Pilbara (S)	WA Bal	7 617	7 954	337	4.4
22 Palmerston (C)	Darwin	28 117	29 346	1 229	4.4
23 Busselton (S)	WA Bal	29 261	30 514	1 253	4.3
24 Dardanup (S)	WA Bal	12 199	12 709	510	4.2
25 Swan (C)	Perth	105 713	110 051	4 338	4.1
FASTEST DECLINES
1 Murrindindi (S)	Vic. Bal	14 405	13 377	-1 028	-7.1
2 Ravensthorpe (S)	WA Bal	2 508	2 402	-106	-4.2
3 Coolgardie (S)	WA Bal	4 094	3 968	-126	-3.1
4 Kojonup (S)	WA Bal	2 275	2 228	-47	-2.1
5 Peterborough (DC)	SA Bal	2 005	1 973	-32	-1.6
6 Waroona (S)	WA Bal	3 824	3 772	-52	-1.4
7 Torres (S)	Qld Bal	3 690	3 642	-48	-1.3
8 Bourke (A)	NSW Bal	3 105	3 070	-35	-1.1
9 Hay (A)	NSW Bal	3 404	3 370	-34	-1.0
10 Merredin (S)	WA Bal	3 392	3 362	-30	-0.9
11 Barcaldine (R)	Qld Bal	3 406	3 376	-30	-0.9
12 Wentworth (A)	NSW Bal	7 190	7 127	-63	-0.9
13 Balranald (A)	NSW Bal	2 499	2 479	-20	-0.8
14 Harden (A)	NSW Bal	3 652	3 624	-28	-0.8
15 Cloncurry (S)	Qld Bal	3 406	3 380	-26	-0.8
16 Central Highlands (M)	Tas. Bal	2 341	2 324	-17	-0.7
17 Mount Isa (C)	Qld Bal	21 993	21 838	-155	-0.7
18 Broken Hill (C)	NSW Bal	20 089	19 960	-129	-0.6
19 Weddin (A)	NSW Bal	3 769	3 751	-18	-0.5
20 Southern Mallee (DC)	SA Bal	2 199	2 189	-10	-0.5
21 Berri and Barmera (DC)	SA Bal	11 288	11 240	-48	-0.4
22 Yarrabah (S)	Qld Bal	2 636	2 628	-8	-0.3
23 Palm Island (S)	Qld Bal	2 193	2 187	-6	-0.3
24 Loxton Waikerie (DC)	SA Bal	12 073	12 043	-30	-0.2
25 Blackall Tambo (R)	Qld Bal	2 074	2 069	-5	-0.2
(a) National rank based on population change between June 2008 and June 2009, excluding LGAs with a population of less than 2,000 at June 2008.