New population figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, have raised concerns with Regional Development Australia Illawarra.
The group says that the ABS figures released in April, indicate the Illawarra population grew by 3,410 new residents in the twelve months ending June 20-22, the number included 1,781 overseas migrants, who chose to settle in the region.
Alex Spillett, RDA Illawarra Policy Manager, says while the news is welcomed, there have been concerns raised about local housing availability.
“While population growth fuels our economy and helps close the skills gap, it also putspressure on the local housing market”, he said.
“These figures indicate we will require more than 40,000 new dwellings by 2041 at what would be historically high completion rates for construction, at a time when materials and tradespeople are both expensive and in short supply.”
