New ABS report shows that Victoria is growing by 2800 people a week amid high migrant intakes

MELBOURNE is adding a city the size of Darwin to its population annually, according to a new ABS report. But what does this mean for the city’s outer growth suburbs?

VICTORIA is adding more than 2800 people a week to its population with Melbourne on track to surpass the five million mark by 2020.

New ABS data confirms Victoria is the nation’s population powerhouse with 6.35 million residents as of October 2017, — up 147,400 in a year.

Greater Melbourne grew by 126,175 in 2015-16 which equates to adding a city the size of Darwin annually, said the ABS report Australian Demographic Statistics September 2017, released today.

It found that the city’s growth rate of 2.74 per cent easily outstripped Sydney’s 1.86 per cent, while the harbour city added 35,000 fewer people.

RECORD MIGRATION CHANGING THE FACE OF MELBOURNE

VICTORIA’S POPULATION FASTEST GROWING IN NATION: REPORT

High immigration has changed Melbourne suburbs like Box Hill.

With Australia set to hit the 25 million mark by August amid huge migrant intakes, a separate report said that the nation’s outer growth suburbs face a $70 billion infrastructure backlog by 2031.

The National Growth Areas Alliance study found that between 2011-2016, outer suburbs absorbed more than a third of Australia’s population growth but got only 13 per cent of total infrastructure investment.

Alliance Victorian spokesman and City of Wyndham Mayor Peter Maynard said better public transport links, more health services and the creation of new job hubs were desperately needed.

“We need to move the population growth conversation past the numbers, and focus on building safe, healthy and efficient suburbs,” he said.

Driving population growth is mass migration, with annual net overseas migration of 250,100 people accounting for almost two-thirds of Australia’s population growth.

Melbourne’s population will soon reach five million.

VOTERS SAY COUNTRY IS FULL, SUPPORT MUSLIM MIGRATION BAN

Melbourne’s population is fast approaching five million and has grown by almost 800,000 over the last eight years.

It is expected to easily cruise past the eight million mark by 2050.

Victoria boasts five of the nation’s 10 fastest growing municipalities: Melbourne City, Wyndham, Cardinia Whittlesea, and Melton.

Victoria’s net overseas migration last year of 88,521 was lower than NSW’s, but Victoria had a net gain of 16,900 people moving from other states, while NSW had a net loss of 16,400.

As of June 2016, the number of English-born people in Australia was 991,060 — down 9350 from the previous year.

The NZ-born population was 607,230 (up 1410), China-born was 526,040 (up 38,970), India-born was 468,830 (up 25,960) and Philippines-born was 246,430 (up 6050).

Meanwhile, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and residents today called on the Andrews Government to drop its “McMansion” policy for the region.

Mayor Brian Payne said that planning zone changes last year made it easier to build three-storey homes in places like Rosebud, Dromana, Mt Martha, Mornington and Hastings.

[e-mail]

@JMasanauskas