RDASI

Regional Development Australia – Southern Inland

  Regional Plan Discussion Paper
  April 2010
1 Introduction
This discussion paper is to be used as part of the consultative workshops that will form the Southern Inland’s Regional Plan. The paper presents socio-economic information and issues relevant to the Southern Inland Region (SIR).
The SIR is composed of 14 Local Government areas: Bombala, Boorowa, Cooma-Monaro, Goulburn-Mulwaree, Harden, Palerang, Queanbeyan, Snowy River Tumbarumba, Tumut, Upper Lachlan, Wingecarribee, Yass Valley and Young.
In the workshops this regional-wide information will be complemented by shire-specific information on the same themes.

2 Socio-economic Snapshot
The chart below shows the total population counts for the Southern Inland Region up to the 2006 census, combined with forecasts until 2026. Forecasts suggest that by 2026, the population of the region is expected to be around 248,000 people.

 The estimated resident population for the region in June 2008 was 202,200, so another 46,000 residents are expected over the next 16 years.
The region’s population will show a rapid increase in the number (and percentage) of older residents over the next 16 years – reflecting national demographic trends. In 2006 there were approximately 25,000 people in the region aged over 65 (13% of the total population). This is expected to more than double to 55,000 (22% of the population) by 2026. Harden had the highest proportion of people aged over 65 in 2006 at 20% of its population. Queanbeyan had the lowest proportion of over 65 year olds in the region at 9%.
The regional picture masks other wide variances across the region. The three LGAs with the largest populations in mid-2008 were Wingecarribee (45,400), Queanbeyan (39,600) and Goulburn-Mulwaree (27,700). Boorowa had the smallest population at 2,400 in mid 2008. Wingecarribee and Queanbeyan are both forecast to have around 55,000 residents by 2026.
Population growth rates also show great variation across the region. Between 2003 and 2008, Palerang was the fastest growing shire in the region with an annual average growth rate of 3.6%, while Harden Shire had the lowest growth with a negative annual rate of -0.8%. The average annual population growth across the region was 1.3%. This divergence in population growth rates is forecast to continue over the next 16 years (see appendix for LGA tables).