SWAN Hill city’s population has grown by 1.5 per cent, in contrast to the
declining populations of smaller neighbouring towns.
Australian Bureau of
Statistics figures show Swan Hill city grew by 156 residents during the
2011/2012 financial year.
At the end of the last financial year, the town
hosted 10,758 residents in total, compared with 10,602 in 2011.
Swan Hill’s
population rise outstripped Horsham (0.7 per cent, 119 more residents) and grew
at a faster rate than Mildura (1.2 per cent, 386 more residents).
Meanwhile,
population in outer regional areas dropped, suggesting a trend of migration
towards larger towns and cities.
Robinvale’s population dropped 0.9 per cent,
or 32 residents, to a total of 3581.
Also in decline were neighbouring areas
of Buloke (-1.6 per cent ), Gannawarra (-0.6 per cent) and Kerang (-0.7 per
cent).
Outer areas of the Swan Hill municipality also slightly declined,
dropping 0.3 per cent, or 20 residents, to 6598.
Across Australia, major
cities grew 1.8 per cent, inner regional cities went up 1.2 per cent and
regional cities expanded one per cent.
For more of this story, see Wednesday’s Guardian (May 8).
