3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008-09 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/03/2010   
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VICTORIA



State summary

Growth in Melbourne

Growth in regional Victoria

Population decline

Population density

Centre of population

Local government area populations



STATE SUMMARY

Victoria's estimated resident population at 30 June 2009 was 5.44 million people, an increase of 116,300 people since June 2008. The 2008-09 growth rate of 2.2% was higher than the average annual growth rate of 1.8% for the five years to June 2009.

SLA POPULATION CHANGE, Victoria - 2008-09
Diagram: SLA POPULATION CHANGE, Victoria—2008–09


GROWTH IN MELBOURNE

At June 2009, there were an estimated 4.00 million people residing in the Melbourne SD, an increase of 93,500 people or 2.4% since June 2008. Melbourne was the capital city SD with the largest growth in 2008-09 and has been for the last eight years.

Melbourne SD accounted for 80.4% of Victoria's population growth between June 2008 and June 2009, and was home to 73.4% of Victoria's population in 2009.


Growth in the outer suburbs

The largest population growth in Victoria continued to occur in the outer suburban fringes of the Melbourne SD. Wyndham (C), located to the south-west of Melbourne's city centre, experienced the largest growth of Victorian LGAs, increasing by 10,800 people in 2008-09. Just over half of this growth occurred in the SLA of Wyndham (C) - North.

Casey (C), located to the south-east of Melbourne city, experienced the second largest growth of Victorian LGAs in 2008-09 increasing by 8,400 people, followed by Melton (C), west of Melbourne city, which increased by 7,300 people.

Wyndham (C) also experienced the fastest annual growth rate (8.1%) of all Victorian LGAs. Other LGAs on the suburban fringes of Melbourne that grew quickly in 2008-09 included Melton (C) (7.9%), Cardinia (S) (6.5%), south-east of Melbourne city, and Whittlesea (C) (4.7%) to the north.

In 2008-09, Wyndham (C) - North and Whittlesea (C) - North had the largest population growth of all SLAs in Victoria (both up 5,900 people). Whittlesea (C) - North accounted for just over 90% of the growth in the LGA of Whittlesea (C) and also had the fastest annual growth rate of any SLA in Victoria, increasing by 18.3%. Wyndham (C) - South experienced the second fastest growth rate (12.8%).


Growth in the inner city

Melbourne (C) had the ninth largest increase in population of all LGAs in Victoria in 2008-09 (up 3,600 people) and continued to experience relatively fast growth with a growth rate of 4.0%. However, as in the previous financial year, this was lower than the average annual rate of 5.4% for the five years to June 2009. Within Melbourne city, the SLA of Melbourne (C) - Remainder grew by 1,800 people (3.1%), Melbourne (C) - Southbank-Docklands increased by 890 people (5.3%) and Melbourne (C) - Inner increased by 880 people (6.3%).

GROWTH IN REGIONAL VICTORIA

In the year to June 2009, the population of the balance of Victoria increased by 22,800 people (1.6%) to reach 1.45 million people.

All SDs experienced population growth in 2008-09. The fastest growth occurred in Barwon and Central Highlands (both 2.1%), Gippsland (2.0%) and Loddon (1.8%). Barwon, Gippsland and Loddon also had the largest population growth increasing by 5,700, 3,500 and 3,300 people respectively.

Within regional Victoria , the LGA of Greater Geelong (C), located south-west of Melbourne, experienced the largest increase in population (4,000 people) for the year to June 2009. This was followed by Ballarat (C), in Victoria's west and Greater Bendigo (C) in central Victoria, increasing by 2,100 people.

Fast population growth continued to occur along the coast in 2008-09. The LGA of Surf Coast (S), covering areas such as Torquay along the Great Ocean Road, experienced the fastest growth in regional Victoria, with an increase of 3.9%. This was followed by Baw Baw (S) (2.8%), to the south-east of Melbourne and Golden Plains (S) (2.5%) situated west of Geelong. Bass Coast (S), incorporating Phillip Island, continued to experience fast growth, increasing by 2.5%.

LGAs WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH, Victoria

ERP at 30 June
Population Change
2009p
2008r-2009p
LGA
no.
no.
%

LARGEST GROWTH

Wyndham (C)
143 900
10 800
8.1
Casey (C)
247 400
8 400
3.5
Melton (S)
100 000
7 300
7.9
Whittlesea (C)
146 100
6 500
4.7
Hume (C)
167 500
4 900
3.0

FASTEST GROWTH

Wyndham (C)
143 900
10 800
8.1
Melton (S)
100 000
7 300
7.9
Cardinia (S)
68 600
4 200
6.5
Whittlesea (C)
146 100
6 500
4.7
Melbourne (C)
93 100
3 600
4.0



POPULATION DECLINE

In the year to June 2009, the three Victorian LGAs that experienced a decline in population were in regional Victoria. Two of these, Northern Grampians (S) and Loddon (S) declined by less than 20 people.

The LGA of Murrindindi (S) experienced a substantial population loss in the year to June 2009 (1,000 people), largely due to the bushfires that occurred in February 2009. The bushfires destroyed almost 1,300 houses across the LGA. The SLA of Murrindindi (S) - East, which includes fire-affected towns such as Marysville and Buxton, decreased by 280 people. In Murrindindi (S) - West SLA where Flowerdale and the Kinglake area are located, there was a decline of 750 people.

POPULATION DENSITY

At June 2009, the population density of Victoria was 23.9 people per square kilometre (sq km), the second highest of all states and territories after the ACT (149.8). The population density of the Melbourne SD was 520 people per sq km, much higher than Australian capital cities combined (370 people per sq km).

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). The neighbouring Stonnington (C) - Prahran (5,300) was the third most densely populated SLA.

The most densely populated SLAs in the capital city also experienced some of the largest increases in density between June 2008 and 2009. Melbourne (C) - Inner increased in density by 460 people per sq km, the greatest of all SLAs. The next largest increases occurred in Melbourne (C) - Southbank-Docklands (190 people per sq km) and Port Phillip (C) - St Kilda (110).

The lowest population densities were in the outlying SLAs of Cardinia (S) - South (17.0 people per sq km), Nillumbik (S) Bal (30.9) and Yarra Ranges (S) - North (34.4).

POPULATION DENSITY, Melbourne SD - June 2009
Diagram: POPULATION DENSITY, Melbourne SD—June 2009


CENTRE OF POPULATION

At June 2009, Victoria's centre of population was within the Moreland LGA, approximately 12 kilometres north of Melbourne in the suburb of Hadfield. In the five years to June 2009 the centre moved approximately 0.6 kilometres south, towards Melbourne's central business district.

The centre of population of the Melbourne SD at June 2009 was just west of the Monash Freeway, in the suburb of Glen Iris.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA POPULATIONS

For a full list of LGA populations, see the Downloads tab.