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Wingecarribee ShirePopulation forecast

Wingecarribee Shire

Drivers of population change

Wingecarribee Shire covers the region known as the Southern Highlands, approximately 100km South-west of Sydney. The area is known for its natural beauty, and much of the LGA is covered by national parks and state forests. The largest town in the LGA is Bowral, with other larger towns including Moss Vale, Mittagong, Robertson, and Bundanoon.

With its natural environment, attractive towns, and proximity to Sydney, tourism is important to the economy. For the same reasons, the area attracts large numbers of residents from Sydney, attracted to a quieter and greener environment with good access to Sydney. The key transport links are the Hume Highway and Southern Highlands Train Line, and the major settlements are clustered on or near those transport links.

Development History

The traditional custodians of Wingecarribee are the Gundungurra and Tharawal people.

The first European settlers arrived in the early 19th century. From the mid-19th century, the railway was extended into the Southern Highlands, and this line became the Sydney-Melbourne line. This led to increasing development into the 20th century.

The growth of the towns was primarily supported by agriculture, although the area has also attracted tourists since the construction of the railway.

Migration patterns

Wingecarribee attracts older adults, including retirees, and some younger families, mostly from across Sydney. With agricultural employment no longer being significant, residents are primarily attracted by the amenity of the area.

Some middle-aged adults in Sydney, who may have Children that have left home, are looking for a ‘tree-change’. For retirees who no longer work in Sydney but with strong connections to Sydney, Wingecarribee may be particularly attractive.

Some younger persons and families are also attracted to the LGA, and there are job opportunities particularly in the service economy. The area has many aged care homes, and aged care continues to grow in Wingecarribee.

Historical migration flows, Wingecarribee Shire, 2016-2021






Note: The migration flows depicted above are historical and do not represent future or forecast migration flows or subsequent council boundary changes. The arrows represent migration flows to the area as a whole and do not indicate an origin or destination for any specific localities within the area. Overseas flow shows overseas arrivals based on answers to the census question "where did the person usually live 5-years ago" and .id estimates of international out-migration.

*Please note, the 2021 Census was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time where border restrictions had largely halted overseas in-migration for the 15 months prior. 2016-2021 net overseas migration levels reflect this and therefore should not necessarily be considered indicative of longer-term trends.

Housing Supply

Wingecarribee’s towns, in particular Bowral, Mittagong, and Mossvale, have been growing steadily, as small housing estates on the edge of those towns are subdivided and developed. Compared to NSW in general, Wingecarribee has relatively few apartments and townhouses, but there has been a gradual trend for more apartments to be constructed in the centre of the larger towns.







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