This was published 8 months ago
Why the centre of Greater Brisbane shifted 80 metres in a year
By Sean Parnell
The centre of population in Greater Brisbane has moved 80 metres further south and is considered to be in Highgate Hill.
The centre of population of a region is a point used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to describe a centre point of that region’s population.
Data released by the bureau on Tuesday showed higher population growth in the southern suburbs and Logan pulled that measure of the centre further away from the CBD in 2022-23.
The view from Highgate Hill, now the population centre of Greater Brisbane.
The centre is moving further south-west each year. It moved only 40 metres over 2019-20, and has been gradually making its way across Highgate Hill.
The population of Greater Brisbane increased by 81,200 people (3.1 per cent) during that period, the third-highest growth rate behind Perth (3.6 per cent) and Melbourne (3.3 per cent).
The biggest contributor to the region’s population growth was net overseas migration (51,800), followed by net interstate migration (15,300), and births (14,100).
Chambers Flat and Logan Reserve were among the suburbs with the largest growth, and also recorded the largest net interstate migration gain in Queensland.
Redbank Plains had the largest natural increase, while Brisbane City had the largest net overseas migration gain.
Across Queensland, the largest growth (1700 people) and highest growth rate (9.8 per cent) was in the Aura development in Caloundra West, specifically the new suburb of Baringa.
As of June 2023, Queensland’s highest-density suburbs were all in the inner-city, with 8600 people per square kilometre in Fortitude Valley, and 8500 people per square kilometre in both Kangaroo Point and West End.
The data was released as Queensland Valuer-General Laura Dietrich published land valuations for five south-east council areas, citing population growth and high demand for the increases.
One year after Brisbane’s median residential land valuation passed the $600,000 mark, the Gold Coast has followed suit ($610,000, up 28.4 per cent since October 2021), while the Sunshine Coast has hit $450,000 (up 32.4 per cent over the same period).
Redland, Moreton Bay and Somerset values jumped to $510,000 (up 36 per cent), $415,000 (up 31 per cent) and $185,000 (up 51.6 per cent), respectively.