Population of Geelong region

from w
The stats from the most recent census are now out and here is a story from today's Advertiser about the Geelong region.  It doesn't just cover 'Geelong' as City of Greater Gecouncil boundary but is much wider so it's not really 'Geelong' as I would call it.

Geelong shows its age

Peter Begg   |  June 22nd, 2012

GEELONG'S population is ageing at an accelerating rate, with the median age of people in the region creeping up from 36 to 39 in the past decade.

There were 5896 people in Geelong aged 85 years and older last year.

Ten years earlier, in 2001, there were 3690 aged 85 and older.

The latest figures come from last year's census and were released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as the first instalment from the detailed 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

The figures show the Geelong region's population has grown from 214,381 in 2001 to 247,321 last year.

The Geelong region for ABS purposes extends west to Winchelsea, past Lorne down the coast and to Meredith in the north. It is therefore smaller than the G21 Regional Alliance area, which includes Colac and is expected to top 300,000 people later this year.

Geelong city councillor and member of the G21 Transport Pillar, Andy Richards, said the G21 Regional Growth Plan was being formulated to address the region's growth.

"Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast are growing and council and G21 are planning for that," he said.

"However, if the State Government does not fund public transport and better roads and cycling infrastructure, we will have to rethink that view.

"Population growth without transport infrastructure growth equals a problematic future."

In percentage terms, one of the fastest growing groups were indigenous people, with their local population growning from 1359 to 2019, or nearly 50 per cent, in the decade to 2011.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative David Tournier said there could be a number of reasons for the increase, including the fact that Geelong was such a good place to live.

"Another reason could be relatives," he said.

"Another reason could be because of the Institute of Koori Education out at Deakin University.

"There has also been a lot of births in the community recently."

The percentage of overseas-born people in the region increased in the same decade.

Last year, there were 37,354 Geelong residents who were born overseas up from 33,159 in 2001.

Average personal income has also made a sizeable leap from $335 in 2001 to $526 last year.

But people's income did nothing to match the leap in rents, which almost doubled in the past decade.

Last year, the average rent was $240, up from $125 in 2001.

Last year's census was the 16th national census and marked 100 years of national census-taking in Australia.

The series and data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing is now available on the ABS website. Visit www.abs.gov.au/census