Drought shrinking NSW country town populations
The populations of country towns across NSW are shrinking due to the drought, farming technology and changing demographics.
The populations of country towns across NSW are shrinking due to the drought, farming technology and changing demographics.
The Daily Telegraph has analysed the latest regional population growth figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, finding that over the 10 years to 2018 there were noticeable population declines in some regions.
Of the top 10 towns to have experienced population declines, just two are located on the coastal fringe, with the remaining eight in drought-stricken areas.
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The analysis found the population of the Walgett-Lightning Ridge region fell by 12.6 per cent during the decade, Bourke-Brewarrina dropped 11.2 per cent, Broken Hill fell by 9.6 per cent, Nyngan-Warren 7.8 per cent and Condobolin 7.5 per cent.
Other regions to experience a fall included Coonamble (6.4 per cent), Lismore (5.6 per cent), Moree and Coonabarabran (both 5.5 per cent), Orange (5.2 per cent) and Kyogle (4.9 per cent).
Only Kyogle and Lismore are located on NSW’s eastern seaboard while the remaining towns are in the North West Slopes, Central West and western regions of the state.
Regional Australia Institute co-CEO Dr Kim Houghton said the factors included improvements in farm technologies that were displacing jobs and an ageing population that required access to better healthcare.
“We have got very, very efficient primary producers in this country, they are world class, but the numbers of jobs required have been declining steadily since the end of the Second World War,” he said. “Inland places are ageing — their average age is going up — the fertility rates are going down, and there is a natural attrition with the number of people in those places.”
Regional Australia’s struggles during the drought will be discussed at The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit in Dubbo on July 18, to be attended by PM Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.
In the Lachlan Shire, where the population of Condobolin fell from 7161 people in 2008 to 6625 in 2018, a key driver is employment.
Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf said people living around Condobolin were moving to Parkes, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga in search of work and better healthcare.
“I don’t really agree with the figures fully, but within our whole Lachlan Shire area, which is mainly an agricultural area, technology has got a lot to do with it, plus the ageing population, and also the period we are going through with the drought is not helping,” he said.
Mr Medcalf said farm machinery improvements had cut jobs, halving the number of local shearing contractors.
“Another big factor is the landholders out here are getting bigger, they are buying up farms, so you haven’t got anywhere near the same number of families,” he said.
Farmer Peter Stuckey, 44 said there were a lot more farms being leased at the moment as drought-stricken landowners opt to allow others to plant crops rather than borrow more money.
“It’s definitely tested people’s capacity and mental strength, the town’s lost a lot of shops in recent years and when there’s less agricultural money coming in that makes it even harder for those small business owners,” he said.
Condobolin mum Alisha Taylor said a minimum 200km round trip was needed to get to a shop with children’s clothes after years of declining options in the town.
“Since the Target closed … there’s been a noticeable drop in shop options,” she said.
Ms Taylor said the local junior rugby league competition, which her sons Miller and Hudson play in, is a major morale booster for the town.
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