Population
Population distribution
In 2006, around 19% of the region’s usual resident population lived in rural areas and small settlements, with the balance living in towns. The map below sets out how the region’s population was distributed across its towns.
Population forecast
The Victorian State Government developed population forecasts in 2008,
Victoria in Future. These forecasts predict that the population of the Bendigo Loddon PCP region will reach 133,015 by 2021. Most population growth will take place in the City of Greater Bendigo.
The City of Greater Bendigo has commissioned an independent population forecast and this forecast is lower than the 2008 Victoria in Future forecast. Based on this forecast, the population of the Bendigo Loddon PCP region would reach 128,848 by 2021.
Age structure
The age structure of the Bendigo Loddon PCP region is similar to that of Regional Victoria. The region also shares a similar age structure to that of Victoria, other than having a lower proportion of population in the 25-44 year old age bracket. However, this pattern is influenced by the presence of Bendigo in the PCP region and that, as a major regional centre, the age structure of Bendigo’s population is not typical of rural areas. Loddon Shire’s age structure is markedly different to City of Greater Bendigo, Regional Victoria and Victoria. A lower proportion of population in the 15 to 54 year old age brackets and a higher proportion of population aged in the 55 to 85+ age brackets reflects the trends in many rural areas of population leaving to seek education, employment and cultural opportunities.
Median age
In 2006, the median age of Loddon Shire’s population was 46 and the median age of City of Greater Bendigo’s population was 37, compared to 37 as the median age for Victoria and 39 as the median age for regional Victoria. This reflects the general trend of aging population seen in most isolated rural communities and the capacity of larger centres such as Bendigo to attract younger population to their employment and education opportunities. This trend is emphasised in the graph below, which sets out the median ages of the main townships in the PCP region.
Population aged 65 years and over
In 2006, 21% of Loddon’s population was aged over 65, compared to 15% in Greater Bendigo. Bendigo and neighbouring commuter towns, Goornong and Axedale, had a lower proportion of population in this age bracket, while more isolated towns had a higher proportion. This reflects the pattern of aging population seen in median ages across the PCP region and regional Victoria.
Population aged 0 - 4 years
In 2006, 6% of Loddon and Greater Bendigo’s population was aged 0-4 yrs. Most small towns in the region had a lower proportion of population in this age cohort, reflecting the higher proportions of aging population seen in many small country towns. Wedderburn (6%) and Goornong (7.9%) defied this trend, with the same or a higher proportion of 0-4yr olds as Loddon, Greater Bendigo and the average for Regional Victoria and Victoria.
Population aged 15 - 19 years
In 2006, 6% of Loddon’s population was aged 15-19yrs, a figure slightly lower than those for Regional Victoria and Victoria (both 7%). Greater Bendigo had 8% of its population in this age cohort, a figure slightly higher than the Regional Victoria and Victoria average. Many small towns had a lower proportion of population in this age cohort, compared to the Regional Victorian average. However, Boort (6.4%) and Bridgewater (6.9%) were close to the average figures and Axedale (8.2%) had a much higher proportion of population in this cohort than either Local Government Area or the average for Regional Victorian and Victoria.
Population aged 20-24 years
In 2006, 3% of Loddon’s population was aged 20-24yrs, while 7% of Greater Bendigo’s population fell in this age bracket. In most cases, Bendigo had at least double the proportion of population in this age bracket compared to small towns in the PCP region. The notable exception was Goornong, which had 6% of population in this age bracket. These figures reflect state population trends which illustrate the outward migration of young adults to larger cities.
Projected change to population age structure
The
Victoria in Future population projections set out the projected change in population structure by year. As the table below illustrates, the proportion of population aged 65 or over is projected to increase significantly. The projected proportion of population aged 65 or over for the PCP region is higher than for Victoria. Within the PCP region, there is a marked and growing difference in population structure between City of Greater Bendigo and Loddon Shire. Age-based population projections are currently only available for metropolitan LGAs. As such, this data is from the 2004 Victoria in Future population forecast.
People living alone
In 2006, there were 10,296 people living alone in the Bendigo-Loddon PCP region. Of these, 9 344 lived in Greater Bendigo and 952 lived in Loddon. The proportion of population living alone varied across the region, with Pyramid Hill recording 20% while Goornong recorded 7%. These patterns largely reflect the pattern of aging population.
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