The rise of high rise in Canberra

On a recent trip to Canberra I stayed in the suburb of Belconnen. I hadn't been there for many years and I was struck by the number of high rise apartment buildings around the town centre. High rise development is a relatively new phenomenon in Canberra but it is guided by the 2018 ACT Planning Strategy. The Census offers some insights into how high rise development has increased over the years and where these dwellings are located. Read on to find out more.

Australia in 2019 - before the pandemic

The release of quarterly population data by the ABS last week slipped somewhat under the radar. No doubt this was partly due to the release of labour force data the same day, but possibly also because it was population data from the December 2019 quarter ie pre COVID-19. These days data that shows the impact of the pandemic is all the rage - and rightly so - but the December 2019 population data provides a useful benchmark by which to measure future impacts. Read on to find out more about Australia's population in 2019.

Australia in 2018

Last week the ABS released its quarterly demographic publication - Australian Demographic Statistics (Cat. no. 3101.0).  This contains demographic data up to December 2018, providing an overview of the Australian population for the full calendar year.  What are the highlights in this latest population data release?

Population growth in and around Canberra

Recently the ACT Government released the 2018 ACT Planning Strategy - essentially Canberra's metropolitan planning strategy.  From a population and housing perspective, the main goals are to curb the amount of outward urban expansion.  The strategy also recognises Canberra's role not only as the nation's capital, but as an important regional centre for surrounding parts of NSW.  The release of the strategy provides an opportunity to look at spatial patterns of growth in Canberra and surrounding parts of NSW, because let's face it - urban and regional planning should transcend administrative boundaries.

Australia's population growth has slowed

Just before Christmas the ABS released its quarterly demographic publication - Australian Demographic Statistics.  This latest release provides data on population growth and change for Australia's states and territories up to June 2018.  Population, and especially migration, was a hot topic in 2018, but what do the latest numbers tell us?  Read on to find out more.

Birth numbers in Australia remain high

Last week the ABS released its annual births publication.  This is an important demographic release as it not only contains data on the number of births, but also where they occur and to whom.  Despite a decline in the total fertility rate (TFR) over the course of this decade, birth numbers/registrations remain high.  What trends do the latest data reveal?