Geelong’s population growing at fastest rate in years, new data reveals

Increased opportunities fuelled a Gippsland couple to move to Geelong as the region races toward to a predicted population of 400,000 by 2041.

Lara couple James and Jessica Elliott have recently moved to Lara from Gippsland. Picture: Mark Wilson

Increased opportunities drove a Gippsland couple to move to Geelong as the region races toward to a predicted population of 400,000 by 2041.

James Elliot said career growth, study opportunities and being close to family were reasons he and his wife, Jessica, chose to move to Lara and now planned to put down roots in the region.

And they are not the only ones, with new Australian Bureau of Statistics population data revealing Geelong’s population is growing at its fastest rate in years.

Mr Elliott said the couple always planned to leave Traralgon in Gippsland, they just did not know where they would end up.

“You hit the ceiling in your career really early (in Traralgon) compared to Melbourne or Geelong,” Mr Elliott said.

“My wife has family in Geelong so we were already regularly coming to visit them.

“We said ‘you know what, we love Geelong, lets go there’.”

James and Jessica Elliott with their dogs Otis and Murphy. Picture: Mark Wilson

According to the ABS, Greater Geelong’s population grew by two per cent from 2021 to 2022, with an additional 5340 people now living in the area.

This is the highest growth rate Geelong has recorded in years, with a 0.97 per cent increase in 2020, 1.44 per cent in 2019 and a 0.98 per cent 10 years ago in 2013.

Geelong’s growth was the second highest increase in Victoria, behind Wyndam which grew up 4.6 per cent, or 12,430 people.

The data also revealed the Surf Coast’s population grew by 2.6 per cent and Golden Plains by 1.7 per cent.

Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher. Picture: David Smith

Charlemont had the highest growth rate in a suburb outside a capital city, increasing by 15 per cent.

The Demographics Group co-founder Simon Kuestenmacher said he was not surprised the southern suburb has grown so quickly.

“It is an outer suburb of Geelong, meaning you can develop the living hell out of it,” he said.

The majority of houses in Charlemont and Armstrong Creek are three to four bedrooms dwellings which Mr Kuestenmacher said is the dwelling type “we need right now”.

Geelong’s population now sits at 276,116 and is expected to reach almost 400,000 by 2041.

Mr Kuestenmacher said Geelong must densify to cater for its population growth.

“The first step is to accept you are going to grow significantly,” he said.

“The denser you are as a city, the cheaper it is to run infrastructure.”

Mr Kuestenmacher said the region had a “shockingly” healthy demographic profile.

Mr Elliott, who works as an accountant, said the lifestyle and hospitality scene in Geelong appealed to him and his wife.

“We love our food and wine, the restaurants are such a high standard (in Geelong),” Mr Elliott said.

The couple chose Lara as it felt like a “home away from home.”

“When we drove through Lara, we instantly fell in love,” he said.

“We found it was like a little slice of Gippsland.”

Mr Elliot’s wife works as a provisional psychologist and is currently studying her Masters degree at Deakin’s Waterfront campus, which was another reason the couple chose to settle in Geelong.

When asked what Geelong lacked and what needed to be improved, Mr Elliott said the Lara train station could benefit from an upgrade.

He commutes on the train to both Geelong and Melbourne for work.

“It’s rather outdated,” he said.

“The cars build up as soon as the boom gate is down.

“I don’t know what the solution would be, maybe elevate the tracks but the train station is quite outdated.”

In February this year as part of the Geelong Advertiser’s Future Geelong campaign, director of planning consultancy Urbis, Kate Meyrick, said there are key development opportunities around the region’s train stations, including Lara.

“Geelong needs to deliver housing diversity by embracing increased population densities in the right places,” Ms Meyrick said.

“Where? Along the Geelong rail line.”

Originally published as Geelong’s population growing at fastest rate in years, new data reveals