The figures from last week’s 2011 Australian Census won’t be available until next year, however new figures are already providing an early snapshot of population growth on the Tweed.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released the latest Estimated Residential Population figures for 2010 which show the Tweed’s population has reached the 90,000 milestone.
This represents a growth of 5000 new residents in the Tweed over the last five years, or a 10.4 per cent increase in the total population.
However, growth has slowed over the past 12 months, with Tweed’s population only increasing by 1.3 per cent, which is down 0.6 per cent from 2009.
The Tweed Shire almost exactly matched the population growth of the combined local government areas of Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Kyogle and Richmond Valley in 2009/2010. There was an increase in population of 1187 for the financial year ending June 2010 in Tweed, compared to 1190 for the remainder of the Richmond /Tweed area.
These figures are estimated every 12 months based on the number of people moving to and from the Tweed, along with births and deaths. Every five years the figures are verified through the national census.
The Tweed’s population began growing post-World War II in line with significant development, with the population increasing from about 19,000 in 1947 to 22,000 in 1961, then to 25,000 in 1971.
Rapid growth took place from the 1980s, aided by tourism, with growth particularly in the suburbs along the coast and to the south of Tweed Heads. The population increased from about 40,000 in 1981 to 56,000 in 1991, and then to about 81,000 in the last Census in 2006.
Residents can access the latest population figures for the Tweed through Council’s website www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/TweedShireProfile. Council provides this web-based service which includes accurate, detailed and up-to-date demographic, economic and population forecasting information for the Tweed Shire.
