WODONGA PLANNING SCHEME

21.03 PROFILE OF THE 19/01/2006 VC37 The City of Wodonga was formed from the amalgamation of the former municipalities of the Rural City of Wodonga and parts of the Shires of Chiltern and . The City covers an area of 434 km2 and is located in the north east of and adjoins the regional centre of , .

21.03-1 Social Profile 19/01/2006 VC37 This social profile identifies key factors and issues that need to be addressed in planning the future of Wodonga. Planning for the future needs of the Wodonga population requires an understanding of the likely demographic changes over time. The key social and demographic factors in the municipality are:

Population

Wodonga forms part of an urban area, which includes the City of Albury and parts of the Shire. Albury Wodonga is ’s fastest growing inland regional centre. The total population of the Albury Wodonga statistical area is estimated at 100,000. By the year 2021 Albury Wodonga will have a population of 138,000 and by 2051 the population will be 228,000 (refer Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Growth of Albury Wodonga

Source: U.S.E. Consultants Pty Ltd, October 1997

Albury Wodonga will grow faster than any other key inland regional centre including , Wagga, and (refer Table 1).

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Table 1: Regional Population Growth and Changes Projected % Changes 1991-2021

REGION POP’N 1991 2001 2011 2021 % CHANGE (000’S) 1991 – 2021

Albury Wodonga 91.2 106.7 122.9 138.0 51%

Dubbo 33.9 38.5 41.6 44.0 30%

Wagga 54.2 60.0 64.0 65.8 21%

Ballarat 76.0 79.1 84.6 89.9 18%

Bendigo 80.8 92.3 103.8 114.8 42%

Source: U.S.E Consultants Pty Ltd, October 1997

The 1996 Census estimated the resident population of Wodonga to be 30,230. The Department of Infrastructure projects that this will increase to 47,530 by 2011 and 54,540 by 2021. The total population increase in Wodonga from 1996-2021 is anticipated to match the combined increase of Albury, Hume, Indigo and Towong Councils.

Dwelling Commencements

Housing commencements since 1990 reflect typical market cycles with an average of 297 new homes being constructed annually since 1990. (refer Table 2).

Table 2: Dwelling Commencements 1990-1997

YEAR Nº OF HOUSES 1990 274 1991 244 1992 331 1993 480 1994 403 1995 210 1996 180 1997 255 1998 292 Source: City of Wodonga Building Statistics

It is projected that an average of 300 houses will be constructed each year over the next 10 years, generating an annual consumption of 35 hectares of residential land. The total number of dwellings is estimated to increase from 11,022 in 1996 to 16,448 in 2011.

Age Profile

Wodonga has a young population in comparison to the state average, with 30% of residents being under 17 years compared with 24.4% for Victoria (refer to Table 3). The proportion of older people will increase from 11% (1996 census) to 19.4% by 2021.

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Table 3: Age Profile Comparisons 1996

AGE GROUP (YRS) WODONGA VICTORIA

0-4 8.3 7.0

5-17 21.7 18.4

18-24 12.2 10.4

25-34 16.4 15.8

35-49 22.3 22.5

50-59 8.1 10.0

60-69 5.5 7.5

70-84 4.8 7.2

85+ 0.7 1.2

Source: Department of Infrastructure, 1996

The demographic profile of Wodonga is comparable to the metropolitan fringe, with high growth rates, similar income levels, age structure and household size.

Housing

Wodonga has a household occupancy rate of 2.83 that is high compared to the State, which has an average household size of 2.67. The household size of Wodonga is projected to remain relatively stable, reducing slightly to 2.77 by 2011. Wodonga has a low home ownership level of 30% compared with the state average of 40.5%. The proportion of public rental housing stock is 16% compared with the state average of 16%. 70% of private house sales are between $90,000-$120,000. There is a shortage of older cheaper forms of rental accommodation in Wodonga. In 1996 the average for two bedroom accommodation was $140.00 per week and for three bedroom accommodation $165/week. There is a shortage of supported accommodation for older persons particularly hostel and retirement housing. For example, Wodonga has more older persons than (3721 that are 60+ compared with 3253), yet there are 190 fewer hostel and nursing beds.

Income

Table 4 indicates that income levels in Wodonga are similar to the state average.

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Table 4: Average Weekly Earnings

WODONGA VICTORIA

WEEKLY INCOME LEVELS PERSONS PERSONS NO. (OVER NO. (OVER 15)% 15)%

Up to $79 2,092 10.5 432,284 13.5

Up to $199 5,001 25.1 829,984 25.9

Up to $499 6,908 34.7 1,021,378 31.8

Up to $799 4,199 21.1 586,740 18.3

Up to $1,499 1,540 7.7 277,389 8.6

Over $1,500 159 0.8 60,385 1.9

Total0 19,849 100 3,208,160 100

* Source – ABS 1996 Census

Economic profile

Employment opportunities within the city continue to focus on Manufacturing, Wholesale and Retail Trade, Public Administration and Defence and Community Services.

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Figure 4 - Employment by Industry, 1996

Employment in public administration and defence declined between 1991-1996 reflecting structural changes in the economy and the outsourcing of some services by the Army. In line with national trends employment in recreation, personal and other services demonstrated growth with an 83% increase between 1991-1996. Unlike many other areas in regional Victoria the overall percent change in employment by industry type between 1991 and 1996 has grown by 9.42%.

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Figure 5 - Employment by Industry, Change 1991-1996

The graph above demonstrates strong employment growth, during a period of major structural change throughout the economy. 25% of the workforce employed in Wodonga reside in New South Wales. Retail and manufacturing sectors account for one third of all employment opportunities in the region. Demand for vacant industrial land in Albury Wodonga has fallen slightly over the past 15 years with an average of 20 sales per annum occurring from 1981 to 1993 and an average of 16 per annum since 1994. Retail spending in Wodonga supports the view that there will be continuing growth in the wholesale/retail employment sector. Table 5 indicates that Wodonga has a higher per capita expenditure in retail than the average for country Victoria.

Table 5 – Per Capita Retail Expenditure

CHARACTER TRADE AREA – NON METRO. VIC. WODONGA AVERAGE

Average Per Capita Income $12,396 $11,805

Average Household Income $33,500 $30,092

Average Household Size 2.9 2.8

Source: 1996 ABS Census

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21.03-2 Physical Profile 19/01/2006 VC37 The City of Wodonga is picturesque, characterised by an extensive amphitheatre of hills and short east west valleys, which dominate the western half of the municipality. This landscape flows into the fertile river flats of the Murray and rivers. The eastern half of the municipality features the Kiewa Valley and Lake Hume which both provide a vital rich agricultural and recreational resource. Lake Hume occupies an area about 6 times the size of Harbour and was constructed to provide a constant water supply to urban and rural users downstream. The and its floodplain dominate the northern section of the City of Wodonga. Gateway Island, which forms part of the floodplain bounded by the Murray River and Wodonga Creek, separates the of Albury and Wodonga. Other major land forms include Huon Hill, McDonalds Hill, Bears Hill, Mahers Hill and the Baranduda Range, a series of hills which provides a significant backdrop to urban Wodonga adding to its character and rural lifestyle. Geology and soil characteristics in the region reflect the effects of river plain deposits such as sands, silts, clays and gravels, surrounding hills feature course grained metamorphic rock in surrounding hills. Soils in the general area are typically loams that are underlaid by either red or yellow clay subsoils. Climate in the area is typified by maximum daily temperatures during January and February of over 32°C and winter temperatures of 14°C. For most of the year the weather is pleasant and adds to the quality of lifestyle enjoyed in Wodonga. Drought does affect the area with prolonged dry conditions occurring on average each 5 years. Four eco-systems exist within the area, including mixed box woodland and cleared forest (Box and stringybark), wet sclerophyll forests (peppermint) and River Red Gum forest and woodland. Land capability analyses of the Wodonga area indicate that some southern parts of the municipality are prone to high erosion risk. Agricultural land quality across Wodonga municipality is generally poor with the floodplains providing the highest quality agricultural land in the municipality.

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