Most of Australia's population is concentrated in two widely separated coastal regions - the south-east and east, and the south-west. Of the two regions, the south-east and east is by far the largest in area and population. The population within these regions is concentrated in urban centres, particularly the state and territory capital cities.

Australia's population density at June 2006 was 2.7 people per square kilometre (sq km), compared with 2.5 people per sq km in 2001. Of the states and territories, the Australian Capital Territory had the highest population density at June 2006 with 142.1 people per sq km (reflecting the fact that the city of Canberra constitutes a large proportion of the Australian Capital Territory's area), followed by Victoria with 22.6 people per sq km. The Northern Territory had a population density of only 0.2 people per sq km, the lowest of all the states and territories (reflecting more recent settlement, distance from areas settled earlier, large arid areas and, perhaps, climate).

Population density at June 2006 was highest in the city centres, particularly in the Sydney Statistical Division where the three most densely populated Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) in Australia were located. These were Sydney (C) - East (with 8,100 people per sq km); Sydney (C) - West (7,200) and Waverley (A) (6,900), which is just east of the city centre and includes the beach suburbs of Coogee, Bronte and Bondi Beach. The most densely populated SLA in Victoria was Melbourne (C) - Inner with 6,600 people per sq km and was the fourth most densely populated SLA in the country. Port Phillip (C) - St. Kilda, which is on the shores of the bay just south of the city centre, with 6,000 people per sq km, completes the list of Australian SLAs that had more than 6,000 people per sq km at June 2006. At the other extreme, there were over 250 SLAs in Australia with less than one person per sq km. The geographic distribution of Australia's population at June 2006 is shown in map 7.18.

At June 2006, capital city Statistical Divisions (SDs) were home to 13.2 million people, or around two-thirds (64%) of Australia's population. The capital city SD of Melbourne experienced the largest increase in population of capital cities between 2001 and 2006, followed by Brisbane and Sydney. In terms of percentage growth, however, Brisbane was the fastest growing capital city between 2001 and 2006, with an average annual growth rate of 2.2% per year. Perth experienced the second highest average annual growth rate over this period (1.8%). Table 7.19 illustrates the changes in population of Australia's major regions over the five-year period 2001-06.

Generally, the largest growth outside capital city SDs occurred in Australia's coastal regions. Of these regions, the largest increase in population between 2001 and 2006 occurred in Gold Coast-Tweed, up by an average 18,000 people per year (or 3.6% per year). Hervey Bay recorded the fastest growth over the same period with an average growth rate of 5.1% per year. Sunshine Coast and Mackay, also in Queensland, had an average annual growth rate of 3.8% and 3.7% per year respectively, during the same period.

7.19 ESTIMATED RESIDENT POPULATION, By major regions(a)

June 2001

June 2006

Change from 2001 to 2006

'000

'000

no.

%(b)

Capital city statistical division

Sydney

4 128 272

4 284 379

156 107

0.7

Melbourne

3 471 625

3 744 373

272 748

1.5

Brisbane

1 629 133

1 820 400

191 267

2.2

Adelaide

1 107 986

1 146 119

38 133

0.7

Perth

1 393 002

1 519 510

126 508

1.8

Greater Hobart

197 282

205 566

8 284

0.8

Darwin

106 842

114 368

7 526

1.4

Canberra

318 939

333 940

15 001

0.9

Statistical district

Newcastle (NSW)

492 549

517 496

24 947

1.0

Wollongong (NSW)

269 597

277 972

8 375

0.6

Nowra-Bomaderry (NSW)

30 168

32 245

2 077

1.3

Lismore (NSW)

30 871

31 565

694

0.4

Coffs Harbour (NSW)

46 099

50 048

3 949

1.7

Port Macquarie (NSW)

38 130

41 348

3 218

1.6

Tamworth (NSW)

42 510

44 371

1 861

0.9

Dubbo (NSW)

35 191

35 834

643

0.4

Wagga Wagga (NSW)

52 120

55 195

3 075

1.2

Bathurst (NSW)

30 615

32 246

1 631

1.0

Orange (NSW)

36 999

37 009

10

-

Albury-Wodonga (NSW/Vic.)

95 621

100 826

5 205

1.1

Geelong (Vic.)

159 503

167 802

8 299

1.0

Warrnambool (Vic.)

29 629

31 501

1 872

1.2

Ballarat (Vic.)

83 599

88 437

4 838

1.1

Bendigo (Vic.)

79 673

85 080

5 407

1.3

Shepparton (Vic.)

44 876

46 227

1 351

0.6

La Trobe Valley (Vic.)

74 996

76 339

1 343

0.4

Mildura (Vic.)

45 294

47 911

2 617

1.1

Sunshine Coast (Qld)

186 144

224 127

37 983

3.8

Bundaberg (Qld)

56 806

63 262

6 456

2.2

Hervey Bay (Qld)

39 599

50 825

11 226

5.1

Rockhampton (Qld)

67 369

73 333

5 964

1.7

Gladstone (Qld)

39 100

45 678

6 578

3.2

Mackay (Qld)

64 767

77 544

12 777

3.7

Townsville (Qld)

134 073

152 954

18 881

2.7

Cairns (Qld)

112 932

131 564

18 632

3.1

Toowoomba (Qld)

109 449

121 894

12 445

2.2

Gold Coast-Tweed (Qld/NSW)

474 753

565 256

90 503

3.6

Mandurah (WA)

59 752

71 011

11 259

3.5

Bunbury (WA)

50 008

57 744

7 736

2.9

Kalgoorlie/Boulder (WA)

29 383

30 196

813

0.5

Geraldton (WA)

31 425

33 500

2 075

1.3

Launceston (Tas.)

98 526

103 325

4 799

1.0

Burnie-Devonport (Tas.)

77 480

79 932

2 452

0.6

Canberra-Queanbeyan (ACT/NSW)

360 537

381 397

20 860

1.1

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

(a) Based on 2006 Australian Standard Geographical Classification boundaries.

The main factor changing the distribution of Australia's population has been internal migration. During 2005-06, 342,500 people moved from one state or territory to another. This is 16,400 fewer people than in the previous year.

7.20 Net interstate migration(a)

In 2005-06 Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory all experienced net interstate migration gains, while New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory experienced net interstate migration losses. Queensland has experienced positive net interstate migration for more than 30 years; in contrast, New South Wales has experienced net losses every year since 1978-79. As table 7.21 illustrates however, any losses due to interstate migration in 2005-06 were offset by growth due to natural increase and/or net overseas migration.

Queensland was the most popular destination for Australians moving interstate, receiving the largest number of arrivals during 2005-06 (98,300 persons). New South Wales and Victoria followed with 81,100 and 62,500 arrivals respectively.

The most common moves were between the three most populous states: New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The largest interstate flow was from New South Wales to Queensland (51,000 persons), while the counter-flow from Queensland to New South Wales was the second largest (33,200 persons). The third largest flow was from New South Wales to Victoria (23,300 persons), followed by the flow from Victoria to New South Wales (21,300).

There were also significant movements between bordering states and territories. This is especially apparent between the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding New South Wales, with 10,700 arrivals to the Australian Capital Territory from New South Wales and 10,000 departing from the Australian Capital Territory to New South Wales in 2005-06.

The largest net flow in 2005-06 was between New South Wales and Queensland, with Queensland gaining a net 17,800 from New South Wales. The second largest net movement was between Victoria and Queensland, with Queensland gaining a net 4,000 people from Victoria.

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