Illawarra due for sluggish rise in population

Wollongong's population will increase by a paltry 61,000 over the next 30 years as migration levels decline, with the bulk of the region's growth coming from births.Bucking the Illawarra-wide trend, births will account for three out of five new residents in Wollongong.By 2036 the Wollongong statistical region, which encompasses Kiama and Shellharbour, will grow to 339,000 from a 2006 population of about 278,000 - an increase of 22 per cent.In the wider Illawarra statistical region, which doesn't include Wollongong, the population will increase from 137,000 to 190,000 - an increase of 39 per cent.Migration is the chief reason for the 39 per cent jump.The NSW Government report envisages a population swelled by the ranks of thousands of seniors who will move to areas such as Nowra, Shoalhaven, Wingecarribee and Bomaderry to retire, making up the bulk of the 1900-strong yearly migration influx.In Wollongong, however, it's a tale of sluggish growth due to lower-than-average migration levels and a birth rate only marginally higher than the NSW average.Illawarra Regional Information Service chief executive officer Simon Pomfret believes Wollongong's population slowdown is due to a shortage in available land.He believes the region is playing a giant game of musical chairs, with residents predominantly shifting from one suburb to another within Wollongong."It is not people moving from outside the area - it is shuffling around," he said.Mr Pomfret believes rival regional centres such as Newcastle, which have higher population rates, will leave Wollongong behind."The Government always argues that Newcastle and the Hunter get more resources because they are bigger, so we need to boost our population so we can start to rival those centres and when we put our hand up for resources we don't get thrown away in the argument," he said.But it's not all bad news for Wollongong, with some suggesting it could house Sydney's surplus population. Sydney's population is expected to grow 40 per cent in 30 years.Opposition leader Barry O'Farrell believes the Government should shift the growth focus away from Sydney and encourage people to live outside Australia's largest city. He said the Hunter and the Illawarra regions should be developed to ease pressure on Sydney. "This is a city that is struggling with a population of 4.2 million people because this State Government's failed to deliver it the services and infrastructure required," he said.