Twenty years of urban growth and change

Australia is said to be one of the most urbanised countries in the world. The 2021 Census showed that 90% of the population lived in urban areas with more than 1,000 people. This blog looks at the growth of urban areas in Australia over the period 2003-23. What are Australia's largest urban areas? Which ones have grown the most? Read on to found out.

Population change in South East Queensland

Queensland is currently the fastest growing state in Australia. In 2020-21, the population increased by 0.9%, well above the national average of 0.2%. The volume of growth was just shy of 46,000 people. Queensland's population growth is driven by interstate migration. In recent years, the volume has increased, and has accelerated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it's not all sunshine and roses. This blog looks at population change by SA2 in South East Queensland (SEQ). It shows that while there are pockets of strong growth, at the same time, some areas recorded a decline in population.

Population trends for local areas

The release of the 2021 regional population estimates has been highly anticipated. This is because it shows a full twelve months of COVID-19 influenced population trends, particularly the closure of the international border, at a local level. Previous data released by the ABS, such as changes in internal migration patterns have provided some clues as to what the data will show. Read on to find out more.

Is the Gold Coast full of retirees?

The Gold Coast - an urban conglomeration of coastal towns and suburbs, is a sprawling settlement located in South East Queensland. It is Australia's largest urban centre that is not a state capital. It is roughly half the size of Adelaide, and almost three times the size of Hobart. The Gold Coast has a reputation as a retirement destination with an elderly population, but how true is this perception? What are the characteristics of population change on the Gold Coast population in the 21st century?

The importance of good boundaries

It's hard to think of a time in the recent past when people have been so interested in geography. Coronavirus restrictions have changed that. Here in Melbourne, travel and administrative restrictions have reduced the size of our worlds to a 5km radius. Many people are querying the geographic definition of metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. It's great to see so much interest in geography, even if it has resulted from such a devastating pandemic. This blog will look at why good geographic boundaries are important by looking at some of the quirkier aspects of spatial units.

Queensland's shifting population

This is a follow up to last week's blog, which looked at population growth trends in Greater Brisbane.  When I was conducting my analysis, it struck me that Greater Brisbane had a slightly smaller population than the rest of Queensland.  A quick look at the numbers showed that the populations were converging.  In 2019, the population of Greater Brisbane was 2.51m, compared to 2.58m in rest of Queensland.  However, if current trends continue, Greater Brisbane will have a larger population than the rest of the state by the mid-2020s.

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).

The Maori population in Australia

One of the great attributes of Census data is the ability to look at the characteristics of Australia's ethnic communities.  In many cases there is simply no other data source available.  Ethnic communities are typically measured through birthplace, language and/or ancestry, and Census data has the added advantage in that many variables can be cross-tabulated to provide rich insights into these communities.  This blog uses 2016 Census data to examine some of the characteristics of the Maori community in Australia.

Australia's regional cities - which ones are growing?

High levels of population growth, particularly through overseas migration, have well and truly put the spotlight on population issues.  But population growth is uneven, and many of the problems are seen through the lens of people stuck in traffic jams in Sydney and Melbourne.  The new Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, has flagged the potential for policies whereby new migrants are required to live in regional areas.  There have also been calls for greater incentives to encourage people and jobs to decentralise, especially to our regional cities.  This blog looks at recent growth trends in Australia's regional cities and considers the issue of whether or not they can alleviate growth pressures in our major cities by increasing their own population growth.