Brisbane is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia

Every year around this time the ABS releases population estimates (ERP) for small areas.  This year the data has been somewhat lost in the coronavirus madness.  Despite the seriousness of that situation, there is still a wealth of interesting population data.  This blog will look at spatial patterns of population change in Brisbane, which recorded a growth rate of 2.1% in 2018-19.  This makes Brisbane the second fastest growing state capital city behind Melbourne (2.5% growth rate).

Is Australia the least religious country?

Australia is described as being a secular country, so it's not surprising that Census data shows a high proportion of people claiming no religion.  In 2016, for the first time, those claiming no religion outnumbered the most common religion (Western Catholic).  In effect, "no religion" is the most common religion in Australia.  But how does this compare internationally?  Is Australia the least religious country?  Read on to find out.

Which LGA has the longest standing boundary?

Changes to local government boundaries (LGAs) are a thorn in the side to any researcher interested in time series analysis.  Depending on the scale of the change, adjustments need to be made to the data in order to make it comparable.  On a recent day trip to the historic town of Queenscliff, I was reminded that the Borough of Queenscliffe (the spelling is different) was the only LGA in Victoria to emerge from the reforms of the 1990s unscathed.  It made me wonder - is this the longest standing stable LGA boundary in Australia, or is there another contender?  I go on a quest to find out.

Building approval trends in cities - behind the headline number

The number of building approvals is generally viewed as an indicator of the state of the economy, and hence is one of the more important data sets released by the ABS.  Approvals are linked to construction activity, jobs and the flow-on effects to the rest of the economy.  Recently I had a conversation with someone who expressed concern at the decline in building approvals, suggesting it was a precursor to an economic recession.  Now I'm not an economist by any stretch of the imagination, but surely it's more than just the number?