'Tree-changers' are part of a 'promising trend' for the Upper Lachlan Shire [ULS] according to council general manager Coleen Worthy.
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Data from the 2021 Census revealed that ULS experienced a surge in population growth, exceeding Australian Bureau of Statistics predictions for the period between 2016-2021.
An 10.64 per cent increase from 7,695 to 8,514 follows a trend experienced by regional areas but Ms Worthy pointed out the ULS outgrew neighbouring local government areas and the national average.
"One of the most pleasing takeaways from the 2021 census figures is the increase in population in the five years since the 2016 census," she said.
"The population of the Upper Lachlan Shire has grown from 7,695 to 8,514, or 10.64 per cent, in that period, which exceeds the ABS projection of 8,419.
"That increase also exceeds the population growth of neighbouring councils Hilltops (3.52 per cent), Yass Valley (7.06 per cent), and Goulburn Mulwaree (8.25 per cent) as well as the State (3.52 per cent) and national increase (8.64 per cent).
"There have been many reports of record amounts of property sales and an increase in tree-changers as a result of the pandemic but I think those figures show that our Shire has done particularly well."
Tuena had the biggest growth in terms of percentage with an increase of 59 to 81 residents (37.29 per cent) while also recording impressive growth were Gunning (24.43 per cent), Collector (20.13 per cent), Dalton (17.95 per cent) and Laggan (13.69 per cent).
Crookwell only grew by 1.7 per cent, an increase from 2,641 residents to 2,686.
Some other statistics helped paint a picture of the shire:
- ULS is made up of 50.7 per cent males and 49.3 per cent females.
- The median age is 49. Eight years more than Goulburn Mulwaree.
- 3.1 per cent of people identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
- 3.8 per cent of people have or are experiencing cancer of some kind while arthritis affects 14.3 per cent of people in the shire.
- 49.9 per cent of people own live in a home they own outright. Well above the Goulburn Mulwaree average of 35.3 per cent and the national average of 31 per cent.
Ms Worthy said staff would continue to asses the data but that the increase in residents was a good sign.
"We'll comb through the statistics and there will be information there that may assist our ongoing planning and strategies but I think population growth alone is a very promising trend for the Shire."
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