We are fast approaching what will be seen as a significant milestone in Western Australias and Perth's history.
If Perth continues to grow at least 35-40,000 people annually, it will reach 2million people at around the year 2016.

With the title of being a city of 2m, do you think this will change the mindset of many, if any, peoples expectations/idealisms etc. of how Perth would/should be like going into the future. (nimbys, councils, residents, visitors. etc) and will these expectations be met and serviced by what will suddenly be a city of 2m.

Will it bring any optimism? or make an ounce of difference to how you view Perth as a city, as a place to live and work?

Hopefully it will have an impact for the better.



(ok yea delete this thread if its a crap one...just didnt see any related thread around)

Tell 'im 'es dreamin'

In the podcast (link below), there is some really interesting discussions as to what happens to a city as it grows...

Apparently a strong correlation between the city size and the ability of the population to innovate and develop specialist skills... have a listen.

http://www.radiolab.org/2010/oct/08/

PS, don't delete the thread, there is some fascinating discussion to be had around this subject.

The thread can stay. This is something that we can discuss.

Hayds can do the nice thing by providing us with official stats and data to look over :)

Perth will get to 2m before 2016 once Mandurah is included in the Perth Statistical Division.

With Mandurah included, Perth was at around 1.74 million in June 2009, probably somewhere around 1.78 million in June last year and probably over 1.8 million now. At that rate, Perth should hit 2m around 2014-2015.

The mindset about Perth is already changing. Perth used to be constantly compared to a big country town but that happens a lot less these days than it did ten years ago (still happens though).

This was published in 1995, the population predictions were modest back then.


http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/5464/tablef.jpg (http://img840.imageshack.us/i/tablef.jpg/)


http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/Publications/Population.pdf?id=397

Yeah the ABS projections are usually just based on historical growth which puts them well out of kilter if growth rates change (as they have for WA).

I think the mindset of Perth will change as those with major influence (i.e. the baby boomers) start to dwindle off and retire/ die.



Perth will change, just slowly.

retire/ die.


:lol:

I do believe that there will be a significant internal migration into WA from the ES with our generally high level of home ownership, those coming over who sell their houses will have some cash to spend here, keeping pricing buoyant. This in turn has that flow on effect by stimulating further growth.

Brisbane had city road problems once it closed in on 2 million, which are only just being handled now (floods aside). I imagine we'll have similar problems in the city. It's possible we could even end up with a substandard airport :lol:

people are thinking bigger... will start to expect/and demand bigger infrastructure projects ... eg. i don't think the community will accept The Knowledge Arc getting built in 5 stages over 15 years ... people will start to realise our natural resources are building amazing things everywhere in the world except here ... the workforce is getting dragged up north to fuel overseas development and we are missing out on the good stuff ourselves

speaking of that DW, we pay the one of the highest domestic price for gas out of any of the oil & gas economies in the world... for example Venezuela, the gas provided to the domestic market is almost free for its citizens.

^^ Is there a big distance between their oil and/or gas fields and the big cities?

to be honest just from a political angle I don't think that Venezuela is a great comparison. Our gas ain't going to be getting any cheaper anyway, and certainly doesn't seem to be holding the country bak.

^^ I was half thinking about the political influence of the issue. But then got sidetracked.

i think Perth could be decades ahead from the other OZ cities by just simply building a subway-metro system, and with that you would only not be the most modern city in Australia, but also have one of the most defining gadgets a big, cool city has, a METRO

you have the money.....why not? be the pioneer in Oceania

^^ Because we dont do things like that in Perth! We like our lawns and we like things the way they are thank you very mucch- if you dont like it move...... LOL

-edit-, was a bit harsh

^^ it was meant to b a joke

^I meant what I wrote, I edited my post and took it out :)

where is perth?

I think Perth needs more apartments around the CBD and the suburbs to prevent some of the sprawl that is happening.

Perth will have to start facing the fact that it cannot sprawl out infrastructure and services out. It will have to start building up. And we do have a metro/subway. William St to esplanade. Ride that metro!

By 2016 we will hopefully have almost finished sinking the railway and reconnecting the City with Northbridge. The beginnings of a light rail network may very well be on track. The foreshore redevelopment will have began to take shape and all of the current construction happening with the skyline will be complete. We might even have a stadium...though im not counting chickens just yet. The small bar scene may be flourishing to the extent that Northbridge loses its title as the central nightspot of activity, as the boutique bar/club scene spreads further into the areas of Subiaco, Mt Lawley and East Perth and possibly Victoria Park/Burswood and of course Perth CBD.

By those measures alone I think we will begin to define ourselves as a more mature city. As our city changes visually in positive ways and increases in depth on a physical scale it will create more options for discovery. These discoveries will make new memories that will serve as a platform to look back and remember how it once was. This looking back will make us realise that we have changed and are moving forward and hopefully this transcends into a change in the way Perth people act and think.

In direct response to the thread topic, many Perth people will rejoice at the token factor of reaching the 2M mark. Im sure 7 News will make a huge fluff about it for weeks on end, possibly even having a running population total on the bottom of the screen until it clicks over. There will probably be many 2M parties scheduled for around the time it happens:P I for one will think it as being a great milestone in Perth's history. Though I think a bigger mindset change or change in optimism levels would be achieved if we were to take Brisbane's place as the third most populous city. I think this alone would do wonders for Perth despite how unlikely it would be to happen.

^^ i wonder if there was anything like that when Perth hit 1m.

Channel 7 is more likely to be running stories about how Perth is too big and having more people is ruining the city with increased traffic congestion and high property prices...

Channel 7 is more likely to be running stories about how Perth is too big and having more people is ruining the city with increased traffic congestion and high property prices...

Or "Perth tops 2M but feds starve WA of GST revenue"

What is Perths and Brisbanes populations right now?

Neither Perth or Brisbane will ever catch Melbourne or especially Sydney in the population stakes but will Melbourne ever surpass Sydney as the most populated city in Australia?

Adelaide reaching 1.5million is a possibility as well.

^^
june 2009

Sydney 4,504,469
Melbourne 3,995,537
Brisbane 2,004,262
Perth 1,658,992
Adelaide 1,187,466

i quoted your post in the general population thread thought it was a good conversation starter :yes:

the nxt census is this year right?
What date approx is it

9th August 2011.

^^ Jaco only asked for an approximate date.

~9th August 2011.

Reminds me of Judge Judy where she asks them when something occured and they asnwer "Approximately 9:02pm". They all do it, its insane.

I was just being stupid. It is interesting to know that the Census date is not too far away.

the nxt census is this year right?

Theres a census every year...

^^ Every 5 years, isn't it?

I wouldnt have a clue :)
I think I got confused with something else

yea i thought its every 5 years with just basic estimates in between? which i wonder how they work it out, cos they have those 2009 population stats on wiki.

Probably interpolation.

Yep every 5 years.

What the one that comes out every year?

I think they just use a series of formulas based upon the previous census figures and limited sampling figures.

dble post

they use all sorts of data to make estimates.

eg. migration between states is determined by observing where tax file numbers are being used.

when there is a state election too? change of address forms etc.

be funny if they got the estimates totally wrong then the 5 year one comes out and it doesnt add up, like say they estimate a city grew by 80k (20,000 a year) between 06-10, then in the 5th year the census reveals it grew by only 60,000 in that period.

"woops"

the estimates are probably too accurate for that to happen though heh.

The ABS has some excellent mathematicians I have no doubt.

During intervening years between censuses the ABS will use things like births and deaths, international migration (they ask where you intend to settle) and other things like changes in licence locations and electoral roles.

There are a lot of people who forget/can't be arsed changing addresses with the AEC or changing drivers licence addresses so the stats can often be a bit wrong. The ABS often need to re-base their estimates after each census for this reason.

I like Indian Oceans views on Perth at 2 mil. Hope all that is currently proposed for the City comes to fruition. Only worry is that this government is so slow at getting anything happening that they may get voted out of office at the next election and eveything will be on hold and delayed as seems to happen everytime a new government is elected.

I like Indian Oceans views on Perth at 2 mil. Hope all that is currently proposed for the City comes to fruition. Only worry is that this government is so slow at getting anything happening that they may get voted out of office at the next election and eveything will be on hold and delayed as seems to happen everytime a new government is elected.

Despite my political flavour, even I don't think the current government could loose the next election. I think it's possible we'll still be in a hung parliament (it's difficult to see where they would gain any seats) but I seriously doubt we'll see a change of government in 2013.

^^ yeh I cant see Ripper getting over the line with a 16% approval rate!! haha


pretty sure the last census was in 2006??!

pretty sure the last census was in 2006??!

That would be correct. For now they're every 5 years so we're due in 2011 and 2016. No doubt in the future they will become more common, less expensive and perhaps done as a individual at various times during the 5 year period, rather than all at once.

Since i'm 18 this year?
(So ive never done a census or anything)

Do we get like a mass survey thing in the mail? and everyone over 18 just fills it out and sends it back?

Or is it something else...(they could probably do it online now)

You can do it online as of the last census. Pretty easy.

It used to be that they left the forms at your door and collected it later (which I'm pretty sure they still do)

Wheres my forms! im already 18

i think Perth could be decades ahead from the other OZ cities by just simply building a subway-metro system, and with that you would only not be the most modern city in Australia, but also have one of the most defining gadgets a big, cool city has, a METRO

you have the money.....why not? be the pioneer in Oceania

lolwut.

Since i'm 18 this year?
(So ive never done a census or anything)

Do we get like a mass survey thing in the mail? and everyone over 18 just fills it out and sends it back?

Or is it something else...(they could probably do it online now)

Wheres my forms! im already 18

From memory they send a booklet per household in the weeks leading up to the Census.

yeah it's one per household.
Basically if you happen to be at a mate's place on that evening, they'll have to include you on theirs (theoretically)

lolwut.

I actually think that was a fantastic idea. What city wouldn't want a subway system!

I actually think that was a fantastic idea. What city wouldn't want a subway system!

agreed

I actually think that was a fantastic idea. What city wouldn't want a subway system!

He said we have the money, I'm pretty sure WA is a bit poor now...
Considering how much we are spreading a part different projects because we don;t have enough in the budget this financial year...right? :|

WA is rolling in the dough. Why do you think CB is open to a completely new stadium?

The narrow gauge single level Perth train system (with no freight competition) actually lends itself to forming the basis for a Metro anyway. No need to build a completely separate system, just need to add lines/frequencies to the existing network.

WA is rolling in the dough. Why do you think CB is open to a completely new stadium?

The narrow gauge single level Perth train system (with no freight competition) actually lends itself to forming the basis for a Metro anyway. No need to build a completely separate system, just need to add lines/frequencies to the existing network.

Yeah a metro would be great but Perth seems to do reasonably well out of its existing surface lines and there is plenty of capacity to add addition lines, tracks and services (aside from on the Armadale/Thornlie line).

The ABS is pushing eCensus for this year's Census. Streamlines the collection process, means collectors can concentrate on getting forms from housholds less reluctant/lazy/forgetful/busy to comply, the processing is quicker and the results can be released earlier. Really important for an accurate count so WA doesn't miss out on Federal funding, GST share etc particularly as our population is growing quite rapidly.

I thought they've had ecensus since the last one anyway.

Yes they did have eCensus last Census but didn't push it as the ABS weren't sure how the system would cope. However for 2011 the system has been greatly improved and should cope with whatever the take up of eCensus is.

Yeah a metro would be great but Perth seems to do reasonably well out of its existing surface lines and there is plenty of capacity to add addition lines, tracks and services (aside from on the Armadale/Thornlie line).

A subway system would be good...but I think improving cross-suburban links and providing decent rapid transit links to the north-east corridor in particular is the first priority.

This is just a question, not having a go at anyone, just my ignorance!

Why is providing transit to the north east corridor such a priority?
Where in the north east besides Ellenbrook?

Just to clarify when I said north-east corridor I meant more Mirrabooka and Morley though as Ellenbrook grows there will be greater pressure to improve PT there as wll. IMO the Morley/Mirrabooka area is poorly serviced relative to other areas in the Perth Metro and it would be better to invest in light rail or BRT in these areas first.

This is just a question, not having a go at anyone, just my ignorance!

Why is providing transit to the north east corridor such a priority?
Where in the north east besides Ellenbrook?

I think it is wanted for projected growth, rather than what is there now. Ellenbrook will eventually be town centre for well over 50,000 people.

Ellenbrook is the biggest blight on the earth. Give them some mass transit when there is some actual density. If if they do, build density around the hubs at the very least...

^ +1
If your give sprawling suburbs trains they are just going to keep going
thats why I dont know why they are putting the train out to Butler!
seriously, when will they stop that line...

^ At Yanchep. Looong way to go yet.

I agree though. Just cos they built a train to the southern sprawl doesn't mean that everyone in the sticks should have a station at their front door. The mid north as I call it needs to be the focus of PT this decade.

Well whats the alternative? The suburbs already built there so its not going to change. Best we can do is make it as best as possible. There needs to be a train line out to that region.

I think its better to concentrate on the transit like the inner city Tram routes to encourage infill. Putting a line to ellenbrook or butler encourqges suburbs to sprawl further and further north and north east- and then people will say we need to service those new suburbs and then so on........ and so the sprawl continues and inner city stays quiet and boring

^what he said

I mean as great as it would be to end the sprawl, issues with buyers wanting stand-alone blocks and continuously ignored housing affordability issues will eventually force the government's hand and bow to public opinion and land developers to release more land. Its important we improve general infrastructure in the inner core to make it an attractive area for people to consider living in but that alone is not going to completely stop the growth of the metro area.

We can slow sprawl but I doubt we'll be able to stop it overnight...it will take a few generations to completely weed out the idea that living in a detached house with a pretty garden and double carport is the only way to go.

We can't just pretend or wish that outer suburbia doesn't exist or will stop growing...the reality is there going to expand and we'll have to provide reasonable infrastructure. Hopefully people will continue to become more accepting of the idea of higher-density living and the sprawl will slow.

^^ Yes that is true- but if people CHOOSE to live in outer woop woop with their big block (and nothing is wrong with that) then you should expect that not everything is at your door step.

This is just a question, not having a go at anyone, just my ignorance!

Why is providing transit to the north east corridor such a priority?
Where in the north east besides Ellenbrook?

Ellenbrook is the biggest blight on the earth. Give them some mass transit when there is some actual density. If if they do, build density around the hubs at the very least...

There is a north east corridor plan somewhere, of which Ellenbrook is a part (but not sole component of)

Biggest Blight? Hmm.. I would suggest half the souless northern suburbs are more of a blight than Ellenbrook. The recent bus service upgrades between Ellenbrook, Bassendean and Morley are working quite well and should serve Ellenbrook and the developing suburbs of Bennett Springs, Dayton and Brabham for the next decade imo

^^ Yes that is true- but if people CHOOSE to live in outer woop woop with their big block (and nothing is wrong with that) then you should expect that not everything is at your door step.

I agree it shouldn't be at their doorstep...but p&r facilities etc should be developed so inner suburbanites like me don't have to put up with even more traffic congestion.

After spending a few days last week in the area around the Cockburn train station and seeing the low rise developments that are going ahead there, I feel that the council/planners whoever have lost a golden opportunity to build higher residential buildings around the railway station precinct. It would have enabled a lot of people who actually like high rise living to purchase an apartment at a reasonable cost compared to where most of the highrise development is currently happening in Perth ie East Perth with expensive river views.

After spending a few days last week in the area around the Cockburn train station and seeing the low rise developments that are going ahead there, I feel that the council/planners whoever have lost a golden opportunity to build higher residential buildings around the railway station precinct. It would have enabled a lot of people who actually like high rise living to purchase an apartment at a reasonable cost compared to where most of the highrise development is currently happening in Perth ie East Perth with expensive river views.

I used to work for Cockburn council and unfortunately the developers pulled out. There were plans for a 12 storey building with 4 and 5 level buildings around it but due to the GFC everything was scrapped. The council couldn't really do much and the zoning is there to allow such developments.

^^

The big problem around Cockburn Central is that those apartments are really not any cheaper than having a nice big block in Success/Hammond Park/Wherever, which aren't actually that far away from the station..

^^

The big problem around Cockburn Central is that those apartments are really not any cheaper than having a nice big block in Success/Hammond Park/Wherever, which aren't actually that far away from the station..

If I could afford one, I would buy one.

I sold my apartment in Success and moved to Northbridge (lies, I'm actually in Perth). I may have lost a bedroom in the process, but its still the best move I ever made.

... success was too far from everything.

What are ppl predicting in terms of Perth's population once the census come s back?

I'd take a guess at about 1.72 million by the time the Census comes around.

I sold my apartment in Success and moved to Northbridge (lies, I'm actually in Perth). I may have lost a bedroom in the process, but its still the best move I ever made.

... success was too far from everything.

Difference is, you're in Perth, not Cockburn.

Trading off space to live in the city/inner suburbs is something I would do. But in the 'burbs when you could have a big house a 15 minute bike ride away is a harder sell.

The Australand apartments are too expensive but the ones down the road at the 'Stellar' development are much cheaper. That site will house over 800 apartments and multiple highrise bldgs up to 12lv.

As far as councils go Cockburn is progressive imo.

Even though Cockburn Central is not as tall as we would like it to be, the fault doesnt lie with the council, they are building high density at Cockburn Central, Gateways Central (directly south of Gateways) and at Port Coogee.

As well as this the Gateways Shopping Centre has applied for an extension including cinemas and a main street. Also remember that there are other high rise developments slated for up the cockburn coast.

What are ppl predicting in terms of Perth's population once the census come s back?

I reckon 1.8 million or close to that... are they including Mandurah in Perth's population this year?

As far as councils go Cockburn is progressive imo.

Even though Cockburn Central is not as tall as we would like it to be, the fault doesnt lie with the council, they are building high density at Cockburn Central, Gateways Central (directly south of Gateways) and at Port Coogee.

As well as this the Gateways Shopping Centre has applied for an extension including cinemas and a main street. Also remember that there are other high rise developments slated for up the cockburn coast.

Don't forget Phoenix Central...

I wouldnt want to live down success way. I definately would give up a rm to be in city.

I wonder if councils dont like approving high rise because they fear they will attract undesirables and create ghetto like enviornments.

I'd take a guess at about 1.72 million by the time the Census comes around.

I reckon 1.8 million or close to that... are they including Mandurah in Perth's population this year?

I was going to ask too. I assume this is the first one that Mandurah will be counted as Perth.

2006 Census

Perth Major Statistical Region - 1 445 078

Perth Urban Centre/Locality - 1 256 035

The second figure is basically only the urban areas, 1st one reaches out just outside Mandurah and basically just as far south as it does north from the CBD. June 2009 was 1.65m, I'm going to say 1.7 - 1.8 million, 1.8-1.9 if Mandurah is included.

Well, I for one don't want a 3x1 with a garden to maintain when I could happily live in a 1x1 unit or apartment comfortably until I decide to start a family. I'd happily take an apartment at Cockburn Central.

^ +1
If your give sprawling suburbs trains they are just going to keep going
thats why I dont know why they are putting the train out to Butler!
seriously, when will they stop that line...

Lancelin, if the Mandurah line's anything to go by. And throw in a spur-line for Gingin while they're at it.:nuts:

^^ Thats what I want to, a nice self contained apartment until I start a family...

^^^

Indeed. But it's barely cheaper than living in the city/inner suburbs.

Would higher buildings with more units transfer to cheaper apartments around the likes of Cockburn Central. Seems to me that if a developer can get more units into its development, each unit could be cheaper than a lower rise fewer apartments. Same infrastructure servicing more apartments has to make it cheaper, or am I totally off the mark!

Would higher buildings with more units transfer to cheaper apartments around the likes of Cockburn Central. Seems to me that if a developer can get more units into its development, each unit could be cheaper than a lower rise fewer apartments. Same infrastructure servicing more apartments has to make it cheaper, or am I totally off the mark!

No.

Higher buildings would not lead to lower property prices.

In fact, apartments are almost without fail more expensive the higher they are.

If the Fly in Fly Out (FIFO) workers actually put where they spend most of their time, (ie more than 6 months 1 day) country and remote regions may benefit form higher population bases and the city would not show inflated numbers of residents. The ABS is trying to encourage FIFO workers to actually put their usual place of residence as where they actually spend most of their year not where their families necessarity are. This would certainly give the regions a more equitable share of funding and allow for better facilities/infrastructure in the regions. I agree however that the population for Perth at this year's Census will be in the 1.7 - 1.8 million mark. Don't think Mandurah will be included in the metro figures though like the Gold Coast is not included in Brisbane's population count.

I guess the higher you build residential towers, the more developers / sellers can ask for the view despite where they are built. Are views the most influential when it comes to pricing units?

Are views the most influential when it comes to pricing units?

It has an affect on prices.

If the Fly in Fly Out (FIFO) workers actually put where they spend most of their time, (ie more than 6 months 1 day) country and remote regions may benefit form higher population bases and the city would not show inflated numbers of residents. The ABS is trying to encourage FIFO workers to actually put their usual place of residence as where they actually spend most of their year not where their families necessarity are. This would certainly give the regions a more equitable share of funding and allow for better facilities/infrastructure in the regions. I agree however that the population for Perth at this year's Census will be in the 1.7 - 1.8 million mark. Don't think Mandurah will be included in the metro figures though like the Gold Coast is not included in Brisbane's population count.

ABS has already stated that it will include Mandurah in the next census figures for Perths Metro.

^^in which case Perth's population should be above 1.8 million.

No.

Higher buildings would not lead to lower property prices.

In fact, apartments are almost without fail more expensive the higher they are.

Peter Monks' (City of Perth) dissertation seems to disagree with this statement.

The average cost of PROVIDING additional apartments is most certainly lower. Whether they actually sell for a lower price is another story.

Ellenbrook is the biggest blight on the earth. Give them some mass transit when there is some actual density. If if they do, build density around the hubs at the very least...

Starting to..
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=74553345&postcount=1132

aunty kelli, you might be interested in this, im hoping to go myself as im certainly pro a bigger australia but there might be things i havent considered


Dear Slow Food members,

Sue Hartley of Permaculture West has advised me that they are bringing over Mark O’Connor from Canberra to talk at Christ Church Grammar School on population.

Mark is a successful poet, author and environmentalist and his recent book Overloading Australia has been very well received.. The theme of his talk will be “Population and Perish, Australia’s Growth Fetish”.

The talk will be on Wednesday 30th March at 7pm for 7.30pm in the Senior Common Room at CCGS. Entry charge - gold coin donation.

Limited number of his book “Overloading Australia” will be available for sale.

For further information contact Sue Harley on 9286 2093

City Growth % Estimated Population
Melbourne 79 014 2.0% 4 077 036
Sydney 75 644 1.7% 4 575 532
Brisbane 38 960 1.9% 2 043 185
Perth 37 545 2.3% 1 696 065
Adelaide 15 047 1.3% 1 203 186
Canberra 6 258 1.8% 358 222
Hobart 2 686 1.3% 214 705
Darwin 2 623 2.1% 127 532

i thought mandurah was being included in the perth population from this year?

also other areas being included with Brisbane which would make it higher than 39k

Nice, fastest growing state and capital city. The company I work for has already brought in several people on working visas and looking to add another 10-15 or so in the next few months.

Perth is where its at.

City Growth % Estimated Population
Melbourne 79 014 2.0% 4 077 036
Sydney 75 644 1.7% 4 575 532
Brisbane 38 960 1.9% 2 043 185
Perth 37 545 2.3% 1 696 065
Adelaide 15 047 1.3% 1 203 186
Canberra 6 258 1.8% 358 222
Hobart 2 686 1.3% 214 705
Darwin 2 623 2.1% 127 532

i thought mandurah was being included in the perth population from this year?

also other areas being included with Brisbane which would make it higher than 39k

When are these figures for?

June 2010, so 9 months old already. Perth population probably around 1.72 million at least by today.

Mandurah will be added to Perth after this years census.

Theres almost more people coming to Perth than Brisbane? With all that stuff going on there you woulda thought their increase would be highest in aus. Also interesting that more people are going to Melbourne rather than Sydney.

Theres almost more people coming to Perth than Brisbane? With all that stuff going on there you woulda thought their increase would be highest in aus. Also interesting that more people are going to Melbourne rather than Sydney.

Yeah but i would like to also see how many ppl are heading to Gold Coast.

sorry.... thought those were the new figures because they were just posted in the main pop. thread.

^^ i think u'll find that those numbers are the 'new' september 10 figures. so as of sep 10 ..

37,000 for the City of Perth is higher than I thought. I thought we were still hovering around the 20,000 mark.

Would higher buildings with more units transfer to cheaper apartments around the likes of Cockburn Central. Seems to me that if a developer can get more units into its development, each unit could be cheaper than a lower rise fewer apartments. Same infrastructure servicing more apartments has to make it cheaper, or am I totally off the mark!

No.

Higher buildings would not lead to lower property prices.

In fact, apartments are almost without fail more expensive the higher they are.

it could also create a nice little ghetto as well.. :)

^^ i think u'll find that those numbers are the 'new' september 10 figures. so as of sep 10 ..

No. The city metro figures are as of 30 June 2010.

The PCC is the fastest growing inner city LGA in Australia. Up 5.1% to 18,000 people. Adelaide has been officially overtaken (i think).

The PCC is the fastest growing inner city LGA in Australia. Up 5.1% to 18,000 people. Adelaide has been officially overtaken (i think).

19,876 for Adelaide city Council

ohh we're close! :)

Good news to hear we have the fastest growing inner city population. Is it time in Perth for a big Residential tower?

ohh we're close! :)

Is it time in Perth for a big Residential tower?

No, I'm thinking we need to wait another few years before - OF COURSE WE NEED A BIG ONE! :) A sleek, curvy design would be nice too. How many more square buildings can this city build ffs.

Emu Brewery site. Has to be developed the next boom.

There is NO REASON Perth couldn't have a landmark taller-than-central-park residential tower along the lines of Q1 on the gold coast or Eureka in Melbourne other than backwards thinking by developers and local authorities

Agreed. I think that Emu is the right site for this too.

I swear, that Emu Brewery Site must be on an old Indian burial ground or something. It would have to be the most cursed site in Australia...

I think Emu Brewery would be perfect for an iconic landmark residential tower.
We just need people with vision to build it. We need the kind of people who built R&I bank tower, Central Park and the other visionary office towers that define the perth skyline. (then again, given what happened to the guy who built R&I, maybe having more people like him may not be such a good idea :)

we might be getting lucky with that site. big might though.

Spill. The. Beans.

Theres a potential tower going up on one side of the emu brewery site. This is all ive seen so far, maybe 120m?


http://www.go-arch.com/pimg/E51Render1x.jpg

it's ugly, don't really like the thought of apartment towers in the core CBD unless it doesn't have balconies :)

Theres a potential tower going up on one side of the emu brewery site. This is all ive seen so far, maybe 120m?


http://www.go-arch.com/pimg/E51Render1x.jpg

you saw a tower that looks like that for emu brewery, is that what you're trying to say?

unfortunately with perth's climate, tha balcony is going to be attractive... however, tower designs have become really innovative and balconies aren't necessarily an eyesore point to towers... having said that, this is perth, so we won't see developers push tha envelope on tha front... we're still knee deep in painted colour board patchwork on our buildings...

I'm still gunning to see more freaking curves in CBD design. OVER the boxes..

Yes I agree Crave.

The above Tower is not for EMU.

I think something like a big London Egg elevated on that site would be cool as!

I'm still gunning to see more freaking curves in CBD design. OVER the boxes..

agree, i wanna see curves on tha emu brewery site...

it would suit tha steep lot imo...

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/8103513/640/8103513.png (http://picturepush.com/public/8103513)

Perth's population, every five years. As you can see, a HUGE increase from 2006-2011.

just what was posted in the news thread..

WA population growth soaring
Shane Wright Economics Editor
The West Australian June 20, 2012


WA’s population growth rate has accelerated, leaving the rest of the country in its wake, with the State adding 67,000 residents through 2011.

Figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics put WA’s population growth rate at 2.9 percent – by far the strongest in the country with the national growth rate ebbing to 1.4 percent.

There are now an estimated 2.4 million people living in WA.

The 67,400 increase in population through 2011 was in absolute terms bigger than the 66,500 added in Queensland (where the population reached 4.5 million).

It was also just short of the 71,000 added to NSW (population 7.3 million) and Victoria which added 75,400 to take its population to 5.5 million.

The lowest growth rate of 0.4 percent was recorded by Tasmania where the population grew by 2000 to 511,000.

WA’s growth was made up of 4600 in natural increase, a 10,052 jump in net overseas migration and 2812 in net interstate migration.

There are now a record 1.2 million men living in WA while the number of women stands at 1.85 million.
The gap between men and women now stands at 16,140, an increase of more than 500 over what was recorded in the three months to September.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/13991632/wa-population-growth-soaring/

new census date is now out!!!

http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/LGA58570?opendocument&navpos=220

Omg I'm such a LIST person - been waiting for this for yonks. Cheers for the link, gabe.

Fark I hate the ABS website - impossible to navigate; endlessly frustrating.

one thing that caught my attention was that the % of people whose father born overseas is higher than % for mother born overseas...

apparently, mandurah is now part of perth.

http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/communityprofile/5GPER?opendocument&navpos=230

apparently, mandurah is now part of perth.

http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/communityprofile/5GPER?opendocument&navpos=230

It's always considered as part of greater Perth, wherever they mark the MRS boundary.

where is the current northern boundary for perth metro? they have gone up to yanchep for greater perth but surely that is not included in metro boudnary discussions?

one thing that caught my attention was that the % of people whose father born overseas is higher than % for mother born overseas...

Does this mean that overseas born fathers have more kids or are Aussie men missing out? Maybe Australian born Chinese girls are marry men from the old country.

Does this mean that overseas born fathers have more kids or are Aussie men missing out? Maybe Australian born Chinese girls are marry men from the old country.

maybe.

its only a 2% difference... which I thought would swing in the mail order bride catagories favor...

Boat People takin' 'er wimmin

where is the current northern boundary for perth metro? they have gone up to yanchep for greater perth but surely that is not included in metro boudnary discussions?

The border is a few km north of Two Rocks.

apparently, mandurah is now part of perth.

http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/communityprofile/5GPER?opendocument&navpos=230

Bit like Brisbane treating the Gold Coast like its part of its population catchment, IMO.

Bit like Brisbane treating the Gold Coast like its part of its population catchment, IMO.

Except this is the ABS.

Not sure why this does peoples head in, the ABS is just logically using the Perth MRS as their boundary.

Though Mandurah is part of the Peel Region Scheme which still starts north of Mandurah.

But isn't the Peel Region Scheme included in the MRS now? It's still it's own plan but I figured they're slowly going to assimilate it. That is what the kerfuffle was about a couple of years ago, with Mandurah being included as a part of Perth.

Here is a good link that pretty much explains everything about the new SD boundaries of our capital cities. Brisbane has by far gained the most in area and population and i think its the biggest metro in the nation now in terms of area overtaking Sydney.

http://blog.id.com.au/2011/how-to/new-abs-geography-part-5-greater-capital-cities-are-they-greater/#more-839

With the title of being a city of 2m, do you think this will change the mindset of many, if any, peoples expectations/idealisms etc. of how Perth would/should be like going into the future. (nimbys, councils, residents, visitors. etc) and will these expectations be met and serviced by what will suddenly be a city of 2m.

Will it bring any optimism? or make an ounce of difference to how you view Perth as a city, as a place to live and work?

Hopefully it will have an impact for the better.



Are you kidding me? What's optimistic about overpopulation? What's optimistic about a species dominating a planet's ecosystems at the detriment of every other species? We need to stop breeding like freakin rabbits and start thinking about our impact on this planet. We're killing off species at an ever increasing rate and by the time we're done this world, our home, will be uninhabitable. I don't think there's anything to celebrate here.

^^ You're looking for the Green Left Weekly thread.

^Because it's not a relevant question to ask in a balanced debate about population?

No, because the way it was worded was so sanctimonious.

Fair enough, although it didn't sound that way to me.

Inefekt, please stay though.

First year Uni student.

Bless.

But isn't the Peel Region Scheme included in the MRS now? It's still it's own plan but I figured they're slowly going to assimilate it. That is what the kerfuffle was about a couple of years ago, with Mandurah being included as a part of Perth.

They're probably managed by the same people but they're still separate.

no such thing as over population, its all about the way you manage it.

no such thing as over population, its all about the way you manage it.

Lol. That's like saying there's no such thing as tall people, just doorways that are too short. Overpopulation by definition is when there are too many people for the carrying capacity of the region - which is a result of how well it is managed. Arguably, that happens in a lot of places.

Of course it's how you manage it, when we run out of food we can just start eating each other. It's all about managing these things!

Mmmm, soylent green...

what about more green roofs? more inner city farms, less urban sprawl, better connectivity to trains with better transportation; the light rail will help.

and apply this to not just perth but to all urban areas.... make cities more liveable and less reliant on outer regions as the more sprawl you get the furtherer the food source goes.... (in some cases), and in some cases mining on fertile soils can fark up the water table and in turn ruin the quality of water and the soil meaning more competition elsewhere on food growing areas.

GM foods MAY solve this but what happens when they too get farked in other ways....

lol I am not a scientist but i've read about it and it is not the hour to be discussing this... let alone researching it... :nuts:

Article on Perth's sprawl problems (http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/13372356/urban-sprawl-link-to-health-concerns/)

:nuts:

More than 20,000 parking spaces across Perth Metro for 290,000 daily commuters in Perth and there's still a shortage??? :lol:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/29857909

Why not people catch a bus to the train? or are there simply not enough people wanting to do this?

What's the go?

Seriously...

Of course it's how you manage it, when we run out of food we can just start eating each other. It's all about managing these things!

Been sniffing bath salts eh?

:nuts:

More than 20,000 parking spaces across Perth Metro for 290,000 daily commuters in Perth and there's still a shortage??? :lol:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/29857909

Why not people catch a bus to the train? or are there simply not enough people wanting to do this?

What's the go?

Seriously...

Maybe it's just not convenient to do that? For example my local bus is every 1/2hr in peak, every hour off peak, it's not the greatest service, and it's a pain if you have to plan around it, particularly off peak.

Been sniffing bath salts eh?

It all just comes out unassisted actually :(.

Come on though, no such thing as overpopulation! I've been looking at that statement for days, wondering what to do with myself.

Sorry Gabe :).

^^ Haha.

Well to an extent my statement is correct.

it would make for an interesting debate topic.

Maybe the answer is for people to stop living in areas with crappy public transport service :P

My local bus is 15 minutes each way (my house to CBD and CBD to my house) most of the day, more frequent in peak. 1/2 hour on Saturdays and Sundays.

From the West last week
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/14421923/population-boom-in-outer-suburbs/. I'm surprised that the percentage of people living in perth vs rest of WA has increased

Perth's outer suburbs are delivering a slice of the State's mining boom to tens of thousands of new West Australians.

New figures show that between 2001 and 2011, the population of Ellenbrook grew by five people a day, or more than 17,700 residents.

It was the fastest growing suburb in WA, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The population now stands at 24,500.

Good Life Ellenbrook owner Divera Black said it was clear there had been "extreme growth" since she opened her store six years ago.

"When I used to go into Ellenbrook to start work I'd come into Pinaster Parade and you could only see the shopping centre from the top of the road, but now it's all buildings," she said.

Ms Black moved to Ellenbrook two years ago and said it was an ideal place to live.

"The only problem is that there's a vast distance between the built-up areas," she said.

The Swan Valley is not the only area luring new residents, with the eastern stretches of Canning Vale (15,600), the Madeley-Darch area (15,300) and Butler-Merriwa (14,900) all adding a substantial number of residents over the past decade.

The population of the Bertram-Wellard area jumped more than 600 per cent over the 10 years, while in Tapping-Ashby the number of residents grew fivefold.

The outer suburbs of Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne all showed big population gains as many people attempted to build and buy their own little part of Australia. The figures also confirm that Australia's population is increasingly calling its capital cities home.

A record 78 per cent of all West Australians now live in Perth, while in South Australia 77 per cent of residents live in Adelaide.

While the population of the greater Perth area grew by 26.2 per cent, the fastest growth of any capital, the population for the rest of WA grew by a more modest 15.8 per cent.

Greater Perth's population reached 1.83 million in the middle of last year, an increase of more than 380,000 over the decade.

March quarterly figures just released by ABS. WA is now over 2.4 million and grew by 73,300 or 3.1% anually. Massive growth!

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0?OpenDocument

That is just crazy

Where are all of those people living? Residential construction has been relatively soft for quite a while now in WA.

Are there just heaps of people sharing rentals these days or living at home with parents longer?

Hopefully that means there are a lot of people in WA saving heaps, ready to start a resi construction boom when construction costs come down a little.

Wow that's huge, greater Perth should hit 1.9million end of this year then, considering we were at 1.83 middle of last year.

From the article above re Ellenbrook:

The only problem is that there's a vast distance between the built-up areas

The only problem?

March quarterly figures just released by ABS. WA is now over 2.4 million and grew by 73,300 or 3.1% anually. Massive growth!

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0?OpenDocument

Cheers for the link Tan man - What is Perth's pop/growth rate?

In the year to June 2011, Perth SD had the state's largest population growth, increasing by 42,800 people (or 2.5%) to reach 1.74 million. This SD accounted for just over three-quarters (77%) of WA's growth between June 2010 and June 2011 and represented just under three-quarters (74%) of the state's population at June 2011. Perth SD also had the fastest growth rate of all the capital cities in Australia.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/3218.0Main%20Features82010-11?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2010-11&num=&view=

At June 2011, the population of Greater Perth was 1.83 million people, which was 78% of the state's total population. Between 2001 and 2011, Greater Perth increased by 380,100 people, or 26%. This was the fastest growth of all capital cities in Australia.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2011~Main+Features~Western+Australia?OpenDocument

I guess Perth Statistical Division is different to Greater Perth?

But 75% of 73,300 is what 54,750?

Not sure but guess would be that the Perth SD would be the area within the perth metro region (as defined by the MRS) and greater perth would include peel (as defined by the PRS)

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/3218.0Main%20Features82010-11?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2010-11&num=&view=

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3218.0~2011~Main+Features~Western+Australia?OpenDocument

I guess Perth Statistical Division is different to Greater Perth?

But 75% of 73,300 is what 54,750?

Perth SD no longer exists under the new ABS geography. And yes, the new Greater Capital City Statistical Area for Perth includes Mandurah.

It is the PRS and MRS, minus a large chunk of state forest (mainly in the PRS). I may have compared the maps :shifty:.

Wait wasn't Perth meant to hit 2 million mark after Mandurah's inclusion?

^^not quite, wasnt 2m from memory more like 1.8ish?

If current population trends continue, we should hit the 2mil mark in 2/3 years.

If current population trends continue, we should hit the 2mil mark in 2/3 years.

thats just...

hmTtQ4UEpwg

Except that what has been responsible for bringing people seems to be easing off.

WA on average has grown around 30% faster than the national average for the last few decades. I doubt the long term trend will be changing So while we may drop off for a while it will probably recover. People seem to forget that even IF the mining boom busts it doesn't change the fact that those resources are still there and ready for the next boom.

So based on current trends (even with the mining boom easing off), sometime in the future, we can realistically expect Perth to take over as new number 3?

So based on current trends (even with the mining boom easing off), sometime in the future, we can realistically expect Perth to take over as new number 3?

If you are to go by ABS then no!

So based on current trends (even with the mining boom easing off), sometime in the future, we can realistically expect Perth to take over as new number 3?

I say yes to this, it's inevitable.

So based on current trends (even with the mining boom easing off), sometime in the future, we can realistically expect Perth to take over as new number 3?

Very hard to predict. It depends greatly on whether Perth can sustain 2%+ population growth in the long-term and also whether the ABS maintain the current statistical division definition of Brisbane. If in the future the statistical division is amended to include the Sunshine Cost or the Gold Coast (or both), the difference between the 2 cities will become more pronounced.

Very hard to predict. It depends greatly on whether Perth can sustain 2%+ population growth in the long-term and also whether the ABS maintain the current statistical division definition of Brisbane. If in the future the statistical division is amended to include the Sunshine Cost or the Gold Coast (or both), the difference between the 2 cities will become more pronounced.

Thanks Urbania, I do think (and hope) that Perth will maintain the 2%+ growth rate, whilst Brisbane seems to be slowing down gradually. And you are right, should either GC or SC or both be thrown in together with Brisbane, Perth SD won't come anywhere near.

One ABS model suggest the possibility of Brisbane doubling it population by arond 2056ish I think.

Yes and one of the predictions for Perth have it more than doubling by then. Who knows what could happen by then.

One ABS model suggest the possibility of Brisbane doubling it population by arond 2056ish I think.

It's not inconcievable that Perth or Brisbane will double their populations in the next 40-50 years. Melbourne is also on track to nearly double theirs also. I just hope infrastructure keeps pace with population growth and more is done to tackle congestion and i mean properly

If current population trends continue, we should hit the 2mil mark in 2/3 years.

If Perth was 1.83million in June 2011 then it would have to be pushing 1.9million now.
So yeah 2/3 years sounds right, hopefully it will be 2.

Imo the slowing of the mining boom in the short to medium term will actually help population increase by cooling down certain factors that make Perth a hard place financially to live.

Despite the grumblings about Perth on these forums many ppl out there would consider it a great place to live and so are moving here, I dont see that changing anytime soon.

If the boom ends, growth will slow down to 90s levels again. Stacks of people will move back over East and you'll get the usual trickle of Saffas and Northerners coming in.

If the boom ends, growth will slow down to 90s levels again. Stacks of people will move back over East and you'll get the usual trickle of Saffas and Northerners coming in.

^That’s ok. As long as we continue for the next 2 years of solid growth, to reach the 2 mil mark. Mining companies are still advertising heavily for staff.

what is so important about the 2m mark?

Indicative of average state penis size, I believe

Cheers for the link Tan man - What is Perth's pop/growth rate?

Its nudging around 1.9million now and growing around 50-60k a year.

what is so important about the 2m mark?

Its a Milestone. :drunk:

Why you always gotta be a hater Sanj.

Yeah sanj, stop being such a hater.

Yes, it’s a milestone. Why would you even ask such a question.

...you're all funni ****s

It's also a milestone that appeals to the broader public.

People may finally start to realise that Perth is not a small city anymore when the population hits 2m.

Well if it sparks a change in attitude, I'm all for that.

This is Perth. There won't be any change in attitude. If anything it will be like "oh 2 million people think Perth is amazing, why would we want to change it?"

I can see the reaction now...

A whole lot of soul searching and hand ringing with empty-nesters Dave and Doreen from Warwick wondering how on earth Perth managed to get so big.

"Population growth is out of control! 2 million people is way too big for Perth, what about our lifestyles? What about the traffic? Won't somebody think of our children!?"

"...I remember it taking 10 minutes to drive the Gemini from home down to Sorrento beach on the weekend in the '80s'. Now it takes at least 15 minutes to take the Landrover down there. It's just not acceptable. Not only that, but sometimes I have to drive around for at least 30 seconds longer before finding a suitable carparking spot right in front of the beach..."

According to Tocc, that kind of thing is cheese platter and champagne time.

Its nudging around 1.9million now and growing around 50-60k a year.

Small but interesting observation:
In 1970 the state government celebrated the fact that the state's population had reached one million. 'WA: one million square miles - one million people.'

Now, do the math.
1829 to 1970 (141 years to reach 1 million)
1970 - 2012 (42 years to add another 1.4 million)

Anyone care to extrapolate that little graph?

^^
http://image.tutorvista.com/cms/images/38/exponential-growth-graph.JPG
source (http://math.tutorvista.com/algebra/exponential-growth.html)

Population explosion!

I support the manufacture of Soylent Green to feed the teeming masses.

Small but interesting observation:
In 1970 the state government celebrated the fact that the state's population had reached one million. 'WA: one million square miles - one million people.'

Now, do the math.
1829 to 1970 (141 years to reach 1 million)
1970 - 2012 (42 years to add another 1.4 million)

Anyone care to extrapolate that little graph?

And in 2013 the state government will be celebrating the fact that WA's population will reach 2.5 million. 'WA: 2.5 million square kilometres - 2.5 million people' :banana:

Population density: 1 person per square kilometre. :lol:

Population explosion!

I support the manufacture of Soylent Green to feed the teeming masses.

I like the idea of Tocc with his Soylent Green platter.

this was in the australian a few weeks back as a full page editorial about Perths growth and future, just came across it in online form tonight though.


Growth pains for a city on the edge
PAIGE TAYLOR | The Australian | November 05, 2012


http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/11/09/1226190/331470-1111109p-perth-cbd.jpg


PERTH residents have not yet reached broad agreement about what they want their city to be when it grows up.

This became clear to Committee for Perth chief executive Marion Fulker when she oversaw a four-year research project about how the city would and could look in 2050, the year in which it is predicted to have doubled its population to 3.5 million.

Launched last month, Towards a Bright Future looks at Perth's people, its economy, planning, environment, education, decision-making as well as its property market and who can afford it.

The topic of Perth property is vexed.

The report found the gap between rich and poor is widening in Perth. A house is something well out of reach of many Perth workers and there are about 22,000 people on the state's public housing list.

Despite a big slump last year followed by a plateau in Perth's real estate market, Perth property remains attractive to investors, particularly investors from Asia.

This week China's 21st Century Business Herald sent a reporter to Perth to examine the city's property opportunities, why there is so much interest in buying in the west and whether such investments are promising.

September was a bumper month for the independent West Australian property buyer specialising in finding investments for Asian clients, Momentum Wealth.

The company's Perth managing director Damian Collins said results were 23 per cent up on the last record month.

Perth's strengths as a property investment option are formidable and well understood. It is perfectly positioned as a gateway to Asia and its resource wealth makes it the engine room of the nation's economy.

It is ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit as one of the top 10 cities in the globe to live in and it is Australia's fastest growing capital.

Though governments are shy of the "B" word, the Committee for Perth claims its research shows Western Australia's economy has been booming for the past 10 years.

This has been the result of the expansion of major economies in Asia and the Indian Ocean rim. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Western Australia's economy doubled in size between 1990 to 2006.

The report, Towards a Bright Future, states that the economic influence of the state and the Perth region is expected to continue to grow despite well-publicised redundancies and project delays announced across the resource sector in the past few months.

"Of the existing $231.8 billion in committed capital investment in Australia's resource industry, 64 per cent is earmarked for investment in Western Australia," the report states.

"This unprecedented economic expansion has driven and will continue to drive population growth.

"From 1991 to 2010, the population of the Perth region grew by nearly 50 per cent from 1,143,249 million to 1,696,062 million.

"Perth's population is projected to reach 3.5 million people or more by about 2050."

This means that Perth will have more than doubled its current population in about 40 years and will be a region of comparable size to Melbourne or Sydney today."

At Momentum Wealth, a large percentage of Asian clients looking to invest in Perth are businessmen and women who already have a connection to the city.

Mr Collins says those clients are Malaysian or Singaporean couples who had been to university in Perth, often buying something for their children to live in while studying.

Mr Collins said residential and commercial property in Perth was appealing to Asian investors because of low interest rates and an understanding that, despite a recent slowdown in the resource sector, the West Australian economy would continue to grow.

"Long term, they see it as a safe place to put their money and they still see it as a very strong place for growth," he says. "There is a lot more investor confidence back in the market and rents are up."

Residential properties in Perth yield 5.5 per cent. In commercial property, prime office space yields 7 per cent to 7.5 per cent and the yields are slightly higher in secondary locations and in industrial areas of Perth.

Mr Collins said there was no doubt this was having a driver effect. Some apartment developments in and near the centre of Perth were not just aimed at overseas investors, they were built because of them.

Perth's changing skyline, and the increasing number of people moving into the city to live, is of great interest to the Committee for Perth and its chief executive Ms Fulker, who was raised in Sydney and made her move west in 1986.

"There is something about Perth and its lifestyle that gets under your skin," Ms Fulker said at a lunch of her peers at the launch of Towards a Bright Future.

"There's an attachment to Perth that is often maligned by those on the east coast. Perth citizens are very loyal.

"There's also a degree of protectiveness about it too.

"As a fast-growing region we wanted to understand Perth's strengths and opportunities and its weakness and challenges.

"At the same time we also wanted to find out what the aspirations of Perth people were because with growth brings challenges and we are all starting to regularly experience some growing pains, things like traffic congestion, overcrowded public transport, housing and rental affordability and urban sprawl.

"Now is the time to take positive action to define and deliver a bright future for the Perth region."

Ms Fulker says her organisation's research found a "bright future" scenario is a realistic aspiration for Perth. But a "business as usual" scenario was the most likely outcome if Perth did not seize the opportunities and rise to the challenges before it.

"We simply can't have the same Perth with more people in it no matter how much we might want to," she says.

Ms Fulker is sure Perth can be the city so many residents want it to be; positive, tolerant, easy to get around, thriving economically but with housing at every price point.

She points to Melbourne's transformation after it lost its manufacturing base in the 1980s. It made itself into a sporting and cultural capital. People wanted to live downtown and Melbourne was later recognised as the world's most liveable city.

Ms Fulker believes changes need to come in four ways - vision, innovation, collaboration and adaptation.

She believes this is critical because, while Perth's growth creates chances to improve the region and quality of people's lives, it creates challenges for those West Australians concerned with balancing social, cultural, economic and environmental objectives.

www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/in-the-zone-2012

A strange article though, hadn't heard of the Committee for Perth before.

Yes interesting. Hopefully we can lure a lot of the Chinese investors who are funding all these great residential towers in Melbourne.

Watch your arse, Brisbane, we're coming for you! Or something like that. This is a very slow motion chase.

^^
That is unless the ABS decide to redefine the Brisbane metro area to include The Gold Coast and / or the Sunshine Coast.

BTW, Perth should have passed the 1.9 million mark a month or two ago.

^^
That is unless the ABS decide to redefine the Brisbane metro area to include The Gold Coast and / or the Sunshine Coast.

BTW, Perth should have passed the 1.9 million mark a month or two ago.

It will be a long time before it invludes the Sunshine Coast but Gold Coast is a real posdibility, they are practically merged anyway.

I read that Perth was now 1.93 million.

was wondering, when are the next official stats released that would probably "officially" name Perth at 2m+?

^^ next census you'd think? 2016.

They release official estimates for cities/towns once a year (usually around march) with the estimate at June 30 the previous year.

The current 'official' population for Perth is the one from June 30 2011. The June 30 2012 figures will be released around march next year and will probably have Perth's pop at just under 1.9m?

On that rate, the stats for either June 30 2014 (released early 2015) or June 30 2015 (released early 2016) will show a population of over 2m.

Assuming of course that a breed of Giant Spiders does not engulf the eastern seaboard, swelling our numbers with a surge of refugees from the arachnid onslaught #stopthecommodores #stopthebogans #arachnidsout

It will be a long time before it invludes the Sunshine Coast but Gold Coast is a real posdibility, they are practically merged anyway.

I read that Perth was now 1.93 million.

1.93 would be a bit of a stretch. I think Perth would currently be around the 1.905-1.91 mark.

Assuming of course that a breed of Giant Spiders does not engulf the eastern seaboard, swelling our numbers with a surge of refugees from the arachnid onslaught #stopthecommodores #stopthebogans #arachnidsout

I read a really crappy book about that very scenario a few years back.

I'm sure you've read the same one!

Hahaha, yes, can't remember its name though, was many many moons ago.

1.93 would be a bit of a stretch. I think Perth would currently be around the 1.905-1.91 mark.

Thats about right.

Western Australia population heatmap here (https://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?viz=MAP&q=select+col7%3E%3E1+from+1vuHJzfcn0QIaoch1c3omxasl4OhCYFwqlTwjYCg&h=false&lat=-31.929447343898772&lng=116.59351707543942&z=9&t=1&l=col7%3E%3E1&y=2&tmplt=2).

Western Australia population heatmap here (https://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?viz=MAP&q=select+col7%3E%3E1+from+1vuHJzfcn0QIaoch1c3omxasl4OhCYFwqlTwjYCg&h=false&lat=-31.929447343898772&lng=116.59351707543942&z=9&t=1&l=col7%3E%3E1&y=2&tmplt=2).

Very interesting. I'd like to see the same thing but by LGA. Or even individual suburbs...

Interesting that Tuart Hill/Yokine area is the densest.

^^ Thought that too. And Scarborough and Doubleview/Innaloo are fairly high (in comparison to the majority)

Given the number of town houses, units and apartments near my unit, I'm not surprised that Yokine has a fairly high density compared to most of Perth.

^^
Yes. And the resi population density is not diluted by large scale commercial/offices/industrial etc. as they are in placed like East Perth.

funny how industrial estates have people living in them!?!?! lol

Interesting that Tuart Hill/Yokine area is the densest.

No such thing as a house in Yokine haha. All units etc

Yeah, first thing that came to my mind was that the triplex must be a very effective way of increasing density! I rented in Tuart Hill in a complex of about 12 I think then my first place was in Yokine, townhouse in a complex of 64 I think it was. Surprised it's not a more lively suburb really.

I heard on a BBC feature how low rise (five or six levels) is more effective than high rise in increasing density, which was interesting, it's maybe not so cut and dried.

You only have to look at London to see that high density doesn't have to be high rise. Aus cities are so different though. Retrofitting suburbia with more triplexes, the sort of thing Sanj wants to build in Highgate etc is a big piece of the puzzle for increasing density.

As long as the transport links are available.

Blanket increases in density across suburbia can actually create a lot of problems. Better to increase density by a lot in the right places than to increase it by a little bit everywhere.

Very interesting. I'd like to see the same thing but by LGA. Or even individual suburbs...

That heatmap is to Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) detail - which is more detailed than LGA, and is generally at the suburb level. The obvious exception is the rural areas - where the SA2s cover huge areas due to low population density. LGAs are just as big in rural areas.

Well even in Australia, Elizabeth Bay which is the densest suburb isn't filled with high-rises. The majority of dwellings reside in low to medium rise blocks that sit between 3 - 8 stories.

June quarterly data out from ABS. WA is now at 2.43 million and grew at a very impressive 3.3% or 78k for the year!

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0?OpenDocument

What would this put the population of Perth at?

^^Well considering Perth at 30 June 2011 was at 1.832 million and WA at 2.352 million represents 77.9% of state's population.

So 2.430 million x 0.779 = 1.893 million.

As at June 30..

Assuming the rate of growth has kept up over the last 6 months the actual population of Perth today would be closer 1.92.

Yeah, first thing that came to my mind was that the triplex must be a very effective way of increasing density! I rented in Tuart Hill in a complex of about 12 I think then my first place was in Yokine, townhouse in a complex of 64 I think it was. Surprised it's not a more lively suburb really.

I heard on a BBC feature how low rise (five or six levels) is more effective than high rise in increasing density, which was interesting, it's maybe not so cut and dried.

New high rise here seems to be going for the high end of the market. To me it seems a bit pointless building 30 storey building to accommodate 60 people.

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-leads-nations-population-growth/story-e6frf7kx-1226539886287