Article: Queensland coast tops big city growth list

[Golliwog]

As population growth and it's effect on the transport network has been discussed a bit of late, I thought this would be relevant.

Queensland coast tops big city growth list
Daniel Hurst
October 20, 2011 - 4:09PM

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Queensland coastal communities remain a drawcard, with four cities topping a national list of the fastest-growing cities between 2009 and 2010.

The second annual State of Australian Cities report, released today by federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, explores trends affecting the nation's 18 biggest cities.

Cairns is at the top of the recent population growth list with 2.6 per cent growth between 2009 and 2010, followed by Gold Coast-Tweed (2.4 per cent), the Sunshine Coast (2.4 per cent) and Townsville (2.3 per cent).
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Perth, Darwin, Toowoomba and Melbourne come next on the list, followed by Brisbane (1.9 per cent) in ninth place.

The report says cities north of the Queensland/New South Wales border are growing faster than those to the south, an indication that the historical northward shift in Australia's population shows no signs of abating.

The document outlines migration trends between 2001 and 2006.

Brisbane received 267,891 new arrivals over this period while 134,353 people departed.

Of the arrivals, 60,355 were overseas-born migrants, while 30,433 were returning Australian-born people. A total of 95,688 people arrived in Brisbane from interstate while 51,305 left the city to go interstate over the same period.

The study also takes a look at the number of people moving within Queensland borders.

Of these intrastate migrants, 83,048 people left Brisbane to move elsewhere in the state, a number slightly higher than the 81,415 who moved from other parts of the state to the capital.

The report says the trend of migration to coastal and nearby areas was particularly apparent in southeast Queensland, with Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Wide Bay-Burnett named as the top four destinations for Australians, receiving more than twice as many net internal migrants as the next six.

The report says Australian cities will face big challenges from the ageing of the population, with relatively fewer people of working age available to support an increasing number of older people.

However, in one of the case studies, the report says the age profile of the Gold Coast-Tweed area largely mirrors the Australian average.

"Despite a popular misconception that the Gold Coast-Tweed area is predominantly a place where people retire to ... there is only a slightly higher proportion of people above 60 years of age," the report says.

"People across all age groups have been moving to the Gold Coast-Tweed. The population shift to the area is reflected in a relatively even spread in the age profile. Substantial future population increase is projected to occur across all age groups with a slightly higher proportion of children."

In a statement, Mr Albanese said there was now emerging evidence of a major change in how people were getting around their communities.

He said per capita vehicle travel was down by around one percentage point and aggregate travel was beginning to stabilise.

"The shift to public transport and active travel such walking and cycling has continued, with more than 11.5 million bicycles sold in the period between 2001 and 2010 – two million more than cars," Mr Albanese's statement said.

"Net overseas migration has fallen by more than 25 per cent from 453,000 (2008) to 331,000 (2010)."

The full report can be found at www.infrastructure.gov.au.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-coast-tops-big-city-growth-list-20111020-1m9ud.html#ixzz1bK8dBqi5

[ozbob]

State of Australian Cities Report (Exec. Summary) --> here!  External PDF

[ozbob]

Greens MPs Statement

http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/growing-demand-public-transport-must-fuel-real-budget-reform

Growing demand for public transport must fuel real budget reform

The Australian Greens today welcomed the announcement of the Liveable Cities Program, designed to encourage sustainable urban development and called for further funding reforms to meet Australia's booming demand for public and active transport.

"This is a tiny, $20 million down-payment on more liveable, prosperous and sustainable cities. It will offer grants of up to $500,000 for innovative planning and design initiatives and up to four million dollars for demonstration projects. It is a good initiative, but we are long past time for prototypes and pilot projects," said Greens sustainable cities and transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

"Affordable housing is in crisis, with a shortfall in supply of almost half a million affordable dwellings, but more urban sprawl is not the answer. We need solutions to tackle both the lack of affordability and the growth of sprawl, as well as to reduce congestion and cut pollution. Energy efficient housing and zoning reform, as well as public transport, are vital to these efforts. This program is a small but important step forward."

"It should be noted though that the Minister has given with one hand and taken away with the other. This budget he not only discontinued the eerily similar program called 'Green Precincts', worth $15 million for exemplary sustainable buildings in each capital city, but bizarrely dumped federal funding for urban water efficiency initiatives and rebates for rainwater tanks and greywater systems for example."

Senator Ludlam also welcomed the release of the State of Australian Cities Report today, pointing out that the growth in public transport demand must be met by an ongoing increase in funding.

"Public transport use in the eight capital cities boomed by 14.7 per cent from 2004 to 2008, with the mode share now well above ten per cent. However, in Western Australia - for example - the public transport system is bursting at the seams - with Perth commuters often forced to wait for the second or third train before being able to get on during peak hours."

"The 2011-2012 Federal Budget's failure to address years of under-investment in public transport infrastructure was a huge let-down in terms of the sustainability of our cities. It committed five times as much funding to roads than to rail and virtually nothing to cycling infrastructure. That needs to change for a number of reasons - including the inevitable rise of the price of oil. So we welcome Liveable Cities Program, but we call for it to be just the beginning of a new approach to sustainable planning."

=============

Memo to Greens MPs

You talk with forked tongues. How about treating rail and public transport fairly with cars and trucks with respect for the carbon levy?

You have your chance in the Senate.

[SteelPan]

INLAND RAILWAY also crucial to avoid coastal logisitcs chain breaking apart under the strain!   

[Fares_Fair]

Greens MPs Statement

http://greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/growing-demand-public-transport-must-fuel-real-budget-reform

Growing demand for public transport must fuel real budget reform

The Australian Greens today welcomed the announcement of the Liveable Cities Program, designed to encourage sustainable urban development and called for further funding reforms to meet Australia's booming demand for public and active transport.

"This is a tiny, $20 million down-payment on more liveable, prosperous and sustainable cities. It will offer grants of up to $500,000 for innovative planning and design initiatives and up to four million dollars for demonstration projects. It is a good initiative, but we are long past time for prototypes and pilot projects," said Greens sustainable cities and transport spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

"Affordable housing is in crisis, with a shortfall in supply of almost half a million affordable dwellings, but more urban sprawl is not the answer. We need solutions to tackle both the lack of affordability and the growth of sprawl, as well as to reduce congestion and cut pollution. Energy efficient housing and zoning reform, as well as public transport, are vital to these efforts. This program is a small but important step forward."

"It should be noted though that the Minister has given with one hand and taken away with the other. This budget he not only discontinued the eerily similar program called 'Green Precincts', worth $15 million for exemplary sustainable buildings in each capital city, but bizarrely dumped federal funding for urban water efficiency initiatives and rebates for rainwater tanks and greywater systems for example."

Senator Ludlam also welcomed the release of the State of Australian Cities Report today, pointing out that the growth in public transport demand must be met by an ongoing increase in funding.

"Public transport use in the eight capital cities boomed by 14.7 per cent from 2004 to 2008, with the mode share now well above ten per cent. However, in Western Australia - for example - the public transport system is bursting at the seams - with Perth commuters often forced to wait for the second or third train before being able to get on during peak hours."

"The 2011-2012 Federal Budget's failure to address years of under-investment in public transport infrastructure was a huge let-down in terms of the sustainability of our cities. It committed five times as much funding to roads than to rail and virtually nothing to cycling infrastructure. That needs to change for a number of reasons - including the inevitable rise of the price of oil. So we welcome Liveable Cities Program, but we call for it to be just the beginning of a new approach to sustainable planning."

=============

Memo to Greens MPs

You talk with forked tongues. How about treating rail and public transport fairly with cars and trucks with respect for the carbon levy?

You have your chance in the Senate.

I talked to a Federal Liberal MP last week and asked this specific question of him.
Will the carbon tax be amended by the Senate?
In his opinion, whilst his party opposes the tax they do not expect any amendments to be made, because it would bring it before the House of Representatives again.

We shall soon see if the Greens have the courage of their convictions.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.