Top regional population growth

Albany is the only major regional WA city to record population growth last year, as the city nears 40,000 residents.

According to the latest Bureau of Statistics figures, the City of Albany’s population has grown by 13 per cent since 2006, welcoming more than 4200 new residents.

At the end of June last year, 37,399 people called Albany home.

Albany’s population grew by 0.5 per cent from June 2015 to June 2016, the most of major regional cities including Bunbury (0.1 per cent), Esperance (-1.4), Geraldton (-0.1), Karratha (0) and Kalgoorlie (-1.2).

Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington said growth was pleasing but hoped to increase this by another 2-3 per cent with a focus on economic development.

“Some growth is handy for us and we want to continue to do that,” he said.

“We are looking at an economic development plan increase tourism and agriculture, and bring more industry, bring more jobs and bring more people. “We have enough facilities to handle 50,000 people but need to continue to build on that.”

The Shire of Denmark and the Shire of Plantagenet have also experienced an increase, with a respective growth rate of 24 per cent and 11 per cent.

South West Upper House Member-elect Dr Steve Thomas said the South West continued to grow faster than the State average.

“The South West remains the place where people want to live and raise their families, especially in our coastal communities, which have seen massive growth over the last year,” he said.

The overall population growth for the State in the past decade was 27 per cent.