Council
24 May, 2023
Somerset records 1.3% growth in 2021-2022
Somerset Regional Council has recorded population growth of 1.3% to 25,727 in the 2022 financial year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Human Social Recovery Sub-Group representative Cr Cheryl Gaedtke (pictured) said, “We are always pleased to see the annual official population increase figures as they help confirm that people are voting with their feet and moving to Somerset to enjoy the lifestyle we can offer.
“The latest figures are from the 2021-2022 year and follow the impacts of flooding and repeated lockdowns of recent years.
“We note that the estimated population grew by a faster rate in Somerset than Sydney or Melbourne for the year.
“The ABS reported that people from other states are generally moving to regional Queensland areas like Somerset.
“The engine room for us is the Lowood/Fernvale SA2 statistical area which grew by 1.8% during 2021-2022.
“At a practical level, the increasing population will help us to continue securing grants for our region which in turn helps us to provide services at an affordable cost.
“We can also invest these grants into transport and other infrastructure to make our community safer and more productive.”
The 2022 regional population statistics were issued by the ABS on April 20 and are available at https:// www.abs.gov.au/statistics/ people/population/regional- population/2021-22.
