Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2011 

ABS QUEENSLAND STATE SUMMARY 2011

• POPULATION DECLINE: In the ten years to June 2011, just under 10% of Queensland SA2s declined in population.

TERMS:

• SA2: Statistical Areas Level 2 & 4.
• GCCSA: Greater Capital City Statistical Area.
• ERP: Estimated Resident Population.

At June 2011, the estimated resident population of Queensland was 4.47 million people, an increase of 845,200 since June 2001. In the ten years to 2011, Queensland’s population grew by 23%, which was the second fastest growth of all states and territories, behind Western Australia at 24%.

SA2 POPULATION CHANGE, Queensland – 2001-11

POPULATION CHANGE IN GREATER BRISBANE

At June 2011, the population of Greater Brisbane (which excludes the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast) was 2.15 million people, accounting for nearly half of Queensland’s population. Between 2001 and 2011, the population of Greater Brisbane increased by 25% (432,300 people), the second fastest growth of all capital cities, behind Greater Perth (26%).

Ipswich had the largest growth of all SA4s in Greater Brisbane, with an increase of 70,800 people in the ten years to 2011. This was followed by Brisbane – South (up 57,100 people) and Moreton Bay – North (53,700).

The SA4s with the fastest population increases in Greater Brisbane were Moreton Bay – South, which grew by 41% between 2001 and 2011, Ipswich (32%), Moreton Bay – North (32%) and Brisbane Inner City (29%). These were also among the ten fastest growing SA4s in Australia.

In the ten years to 2011, the SA2s with the largest growth in Greater Brisbane were North Lakes – Mango Hill (up 17,100 people), Springfield Lakes (which increased from zero population in 2001 to 10,600 people in 2011) and Cashmere (up 9,200).

The fastest growing SA2s in Greater Brisbane were North Lakes – Mango Hill, Wakerley, Pallara – Willawong and Brisbane City, which each increased at an average annual rate of more than 12%.
POPULATION CHANGE IN THE REMAINDER OF QUEENSLAND

The population of the remainder of Queensland increased by 412,900 people in the ten years to June 2011, to reach 2.33 million. Nearly half of this growth was in the SA4s of Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

Gold Coast had the largest growth in Queensland over the ten years to 2011, increasing by 129,700 people to 527,500, while Sunshine Coast grew by 69,700 people to 316,900. Other SA4s in the remainder of Queensland with large population increases were also coastal. They were Wide Bay (up 47,200 people), Cairns (38,200), Townsville (34,900) and Mackay (33,800).

Many of these SA4s also had rapid growth in the ten years to 2011, with Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Mackay and Wide Bay each increasing by more than 20%.

Gold Coast

In the ten years to June 2011, the SA2s with the largest growth on the Gold Coast were Upper Coomera – Willow Vale which increased by 16,800 people, and Pacific Pines – Gaven which increased by 11,500 people. These were the largest growing SA2s in the remainder of Queensland, and among the largest growing in all of Queensland.

The three fastest growing SA2s in the remainder of Queensland were on the Gold Coast. The fastest growing was Coomera, followed by Pacific Pines – Gaven and Upper Coomera – Willow Vale, each increasing at an average annual rate of more than 12% between 2001 and 2011. These areas were also among the ten fastest growing SA2s in Queensland.

Sunshine Coast

In the ten years to June 2011, the SA2 on the Sunshine Coast with the largest growth was Caloundra – West (up 9,900 people), followed by Sippy Downs (6,100) and Peregian (4,500).

Sippy Downs was also the fastest growing area on the Sunshine Coast, increasing by 184% in the ten years from 2001 to 2011. This was followed by Caloundra – West (178%) and Peregian (124%).

Elsewhere in Queensland

A number of SA2s on Queensland’s northern coast had large increases in population. Deeragun and Kirwan – West in Townsville, and Redlynch in Cairns all increased by around 5,000 people or more in the ten years to June 2011. The Townsville SA2s of Oonoonba, Douglas and Deeragun each grew by more than 100% in the same ten year period.

Further down the coast, Pialba – Eli Waters in Hervey Bay had strong growth, increasing by 5,500 people (or 75%) between 2001 and 2011, while inland, the SA2 of Highfields in Toowoomba grew by 4,900 (74%).