RDASI Page 2

These overall growth rates hide the high level of turnover amongst residents of Southern Inland LGAs. While the growth rates are up to 3.6% pa, over the 5 years from 2001 to 2006 between 20 and 45% of residents in Southern Inland shires were newcomers. This has significant implications for:
• Social capital.
• Engagement in local and regional planning
• Employee turnover
• Customer turnover
The next chart shows the ACT population and forecasts from 2011 to 2026. While the ACT is not part of the Southern Inland Region, its growth and the composition of its population will have a significant impact on surrounding areas. The ACT had an estimated 345,500 residents in mid-2008, and this population is projected to grow the region average steadily, reaching 416,000 people by 2026. The composition of the population will remain fairly similar over time, with a substantial proportion of its population being in the age range of 35 to 65 years old. It is projected that there will be 68,000 people over 65 years old in the ACT by 2026 (16% of the population, below the number forecast for Southern Inland, and well below the percentage for the Southern Inland Region).

Goulburn-Mulwaree, Palerang and Queanbeyan fall under the NSW Government Regional Strategy for the Canberra-Sydney Corridor. The Strategy caters for a population increase of 46,350 by 2031, requiring an additional 25,200 dwellings and 27,800 new jobs. The Strategy highlights Bowral, Goulburn and Queanbeyan as the major centres for the Corridor, becoming locations for considerable employment growth. The Strategy also recognises the important role played by Canberra (along with Sydney and Wollongong) as an employment centre. This focus has significant implications for regional development in the SIR.

3. Economic Resilience and Vulnerability

The labour market
The table below shows industry employment figures for the SIR between 1996 and 2006. It can be seen that ‘Public Administration and Safety’ and ‘Retail Trade’ had high levels of employment and were also growing industries. The industries with the largest falls in the number of people employed 1996-2006 were ‘Mining’ and ‘Information Media and Telecommunications’. Also worth noting is the decline in employment in ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ and the strong growth in ‘Construction’ and ‘Arts and Recreation Services.’