A detailed snapshot of Australia, its people and its communities was released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today as the 2016 Census of Population and Housing data Australians now have free access to a number of simple, easy-to-use products, including more than 80,000 QuickStats, which provide local area data summaries and more than 30,000 community profiles providing detailed data workbooks for local areas. The ABS is also holding free data seminars – open to everyone – right across Australia from July, including in many regional areas.
Above: The median age of people in Eurobodalla (A) (Local Government Areas) was 54 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 14.3% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 30.6% of the population (source ABS) Of concern in the figures are IN RED - Eurobodalla has a disproportionate number of older folks - the Median age for Eurobodalla is 54 while for Australia it is 38. Many in the RED area are on fixed incomes that have little in the way of flexibility and therefore can't sustain increases in utilities, rates and services. IN BLUE - As the shire has little to offer 20 to 40 year olds in the way of career employment or advance education options our youth leave and with that goes the usual demand for first homes and all the stimulation that retention of these young families would bring. The Beagle will be having a very close look at the ABS statistics along with the poor tourism statistics which both indicate that, if this was a game of Civilization Meets SimCity we are heading for a FAIL and it might be time to either give the controller to someone else or at the least have them clearly describe where the hell they are taking us, the folks in their BIG GAME, because where we are presently is beginning to rattle the population.
