3218.0 - Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2011-12 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/04/2013   
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NORTHERN TERRITORY


Territory summary

Population change in Greater Darwin

Population change in the remainder of the Northern Territory

Population density

Centre of population


TERRITORY SUMMARY

At June 2012, the estimated resident population of the Northern Territory (NT) was 234,800 people, which represented 1.0% of the total Australian population. The population increased by 3,500 people since June 2011. The NT's growth rate for 2011-12 was 1.5%, which was slightly lower than the national figure of 1.6%.

SA2 POPULATION CHANGE, Northern Territory - 2011-12
Diagram: SA2 POPULATION CHANGE, Northern Territory—2011-12



POPULATION CHANGE IN GREATER DARWIN

At June 2012, the population of Greater Darwin was 131,700 people, which accounted for 56% of the NT's total population. In 2011-12, the population of Greater Darwin increased by 2,600 people or 2.0%, the second fastest growth of all the capital cities, behind Greater Perth (3.6%).

Greater Darwin consists of the SA3s of Darwin City, Darwin Suburbs, Litchfield and Palmerston. In the year to 2012, Palmerston recorded the largest growth (1,200 people) of these SA3s, to reach 30,400. Within Palmerston, the largest growth was in the SA2s of Rosebery - Bellamack (up 380 people) and Palmerston - South (220), both of which contain newly-developed suburbs.

The Darwin Suburbs SA3, which is a mixture of residential and commercial/industrial land, increased by 720 people in 2011-12. The SA2 of Lyons (on the northern fringe of Greater Darwin) recorded the largest and fastest population increase (130 people or 6.3%). Berrimah followed with an increase of 80 people or 3.0%.

Litchfield's population at June 2012 was 20,000 people, an increase of 380 since June 2011. This SA3, which is predominately a rural residential area, is located on the outskirts of Darwin and Palmerston. The largest growth was in the SA2 of Humpty Doo (up 130 people), followed by Virginia and Howard Springs (both 100).

The population of the SA3 of Darwin City grew by 290 people to 25,200 in 2011-12. The fastest-growing SA2s in Darwin City were Parap (up 3.7%), Fannie Bay - The Gardens (2.1%), and Woolner - Bayview - Winnellie (which contains a mixture of residential and commercial/industrial areas) and Darwin City (both 1.6%).

SA2s WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH, Northern Territory

ERP at 30 June
Population Change
2012p
2011pr-2012p
SA2
no.
no.
%

LARGEST GROWTH

Rosebery - Bellamack
4 300
380
9.6
Katherine
10 600
260
2.5
Palmerston - South
230
220
3 200.0
Bakewell
3 600
190
5.6
Palmerston - North
4 500
180
4.0

FASTEST GROWTH(a)

Rosebery - Bellamack
4 300
380
9.6
Lyons
2 200
130
6.3
Bakewell
3 600
190
5.6
Palmerston - North
4 500
180
4.0
Parap
2 200
80
3.7

(a) Excludes SA2s with a population of less than 1,000 at June 2011.


POPULATION CHANGE IN THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

In the 12 months to June 2012, the remainder of the NT experienced smaller population growth than Greater Darwin, increasing by 890 to 103,200 people.

All SA3s within the remainder of the NT increased in population in 2011-12. The SA3 of Katherine, in the Lower Top End, recorded the largest growth (up 350 people), followed by neighbouring Daly - Tiwi - West Arnhem (210), and Alice Springs (180) which covers the southern half of the territory.

The SA2s within the remainder of the NT that grew the fastest were Katherine (up 2.5%), Thamarrurr (2.1%) on the south-west coast of the Top End, and West Arnhem (1.7%). Katherine also had the largest population increase (up 260 people) of all SA2s outside of Greater Darwin.

Five SA2s in the remainder of the NT decreased in population between 2011 and 2012, with the largest decline in Nhulunbuy (down 60 people). This was followed by Flynn (down 50 people) and Mount Johns (down 30), both in Alice Springs.

POPULATION DENSITY

At June 2012, the population density of the NT was 0.2 people per square kilometre (sq km), the lowest of any state or territory. Greater Darwin had a population density of 42 people per sq km.

The SA2s within Greater Darwin with the highest population densities at June 2012 were Nightcliff and Wagaman (both 2,800 people per sq km) in Darwin Suburbs, and Bakewell (2,700) in Palmerston.

Between 2011 and 2012, the SA2s within Greater Darwin which had the largest increases in population density were Bakewell (up 140 people per sq km) and Rosebery - Bellamack (120).

POPULATION DENSITY BY SA2, Greater Darwin - June 2012
Diagram: POPULATION DENSITY BY SA2, Greater Darwin—June 2012



CENTRE OF POPULATION

The centre of population for the NT at June 2012 was roughly 50 kilometres south-west of the town of Katherine.

The centre of population for Greater Darwin at June 2012 was south of the Stuart Highway, in the suburb of Berrimah.