Indicator: Population growth| Indicator description | Complete list of Indicators | What the results tell us for TumutSee also: | Landuse | Population characteristics | For a map showing the population growth over the entire Region, Contact us for details of the full report for the Australian Capital Region (available only on CD-ROM). Population figures for the Tumut Shire from 1996 to 1999 show an actual decline of 2.5%, since the last State of the Environment Report, and an average annual change of -0.6% over the five-year period 1994 to 1999. Details are in the accompanying table. The total population of the Tumut Shire was estimated at 11 112 in 1999, resulting in a population density of 0.03 persons/hectare (or one person for every 33.5 hectares), measured across the whole Shire. Conservation and forestry constitute more than half the Shire. When only the landuses in the Shire that are most likely to be populated are considered (urban and agriculture), the population density becomes more like 0.09 persons/hectare (or one person for every 10.5 hectares) within the Council-managed area.
Source: ACT in Focus 2000, Australian Bureau of Statistics Catalogue 1307.8 Population decline is characteristic of many rural Local Government Areas in Australia. About the dataDetails are provided on the Regional indicator results page. Description: What does 'population growth' measure?Which data are collected?
Why do we report this indicator?Changes in the number of people living in an area can have significant impacts on all aspects of the environment. For this reason, population factors are considered a key indicator for State of the Environment reporting. Increases in human population, whether a result of immigration or more births than deaths, can place pressures on the Region's sustainability through impacts on many natural resources and social infrastructure. These can include removing the best available land from agricultural production for housing; impinging on areas of high ecological value; releasing polluted water into the natural system; and increased demands for energy and water. Conversely, decreasing population size can be caused by fewer births than deaths, and by emigration. This can make it difficult to maintain existing services and infrastructure, and often the resources available for ecomanagement are also reduced. Changes in population density affect not only the physical environment, but also the amount of privacy, space and noise experienced by residents. This in turn affects their heath and the social cohesion of a settlement. The method used to calculate population density should be stated because population density can be calculated in a number of ways. Statistics for migration in or out, and birth and death rates, should be reported to allow an explanation for population changes to be provided. |