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BOOM TOWN
The Daily Advertiser, 3 July 2009
Fatest -growing inland city in the country
Wagga has been named in the top 20 Australian cities for projected population growth with 72,000 people expected to call the city home by 2027.
A report commissioned by the Property Council of Australia titled "Australia on the Move" projects Wagga's population will leap by a massive 25 per cent, the 20th biggest increase in the country.
Hervey Bay in Queensland is expected to explode by 78 per cent while Bunbury was close behind with an estimated increase of 60 per cent.
Wagga currently boasts a population of about 57,431 and will increase by 14,600 to 72,031, while neighbouring Albury-Wodonga will increase by 20 per cent to about 120,000 people.
Experts believe the city has a strong regional economy to thank for the positive growth figures. Experts believe the Bomen industrial project, two military bases, Charles Sturt University and agriculture are driving productivity.
Leading demographer Bernard Salt said Wagga was benefiting from its position as capital of the Riverina and diverse economy.
"Wagga has a very positive future, there are only a handful of positive regionaly growth centres and the city importantly has critical mass in terms of population an airport and is a TV hub," Mr Salt said.
"A 25 per cent increase is equivalent to three new suburbs for Wagga, which means demand for housing, schools, supermarkets and recreation facilities and that bodes well for young people looking for work."
However, Mr Salt saw one project, that if successful, could lift Wagga to a new high.
"The Bomen Industraial Area, if that reaches its potential it is a real X factor and could catapult the city into a different league," he said.
"They (X factor projects) are very difficult to pull off but there are major positives on offer if it succeeds."
The report's raw statistics are provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and growth figures are based on recent trends, including birth rates and migration.
