Carrathool Regional Profile

The main regional centre in the Carrathool Shire is Hillston which is a regional town situated 650 km west of Sydney via the Great and Mid Western Highways.

In 2001 the population of the Carrathool Shire was 3,316, an increase of 2.3% since 1996. The Shire has experienced steady growth, especially in the number of residents aged over 50.

There are around 1,678 people in the workforce in the Carrathool Shire, of which 70% work full-time and 24% work part-time. At the time of the last census 3% of residents were unemployed.

The largest employer in the Carrathool Shire is the agriculture industry, providing over half of all employment in the Shire (55.2%). The median taxable income for the Carrathool Shire is approximately $641 per week.

Demographics

Age Distribution

Between 1996 and 2001 Carrathool Shire experienced population growth of 2.3%.

A majority of this growth was caused by significant increases in the number of residents aged 50+.

Carrathool Shire has a higher proportion of residents aged under 15 than the average for NSW.

Fifty-three percent of the Shire's population are in the prime working age group (25-64 years). This is higher than the averages of both the Riverina and NSW.

Income

The median taxable income for the Carrathool Shire is approximately $641 per week. This is lower than the average for the Riverina as a whole.

The highest proportion of residents in the Carrathool Shire (13.6%) earn between $200 and $299 per week.

Average weekly income for females is much lower than that of males.

Indigenous Profile

Indigenous Persons

Indigenous persons account for 4.8% of the total population in the Carrathool Shire. This is higher than the averages for both the Riverina region (3.3%) and NSW (2%).

Over 50% of indigenous residents in the Carrathool Shire are under twenty years of age. This can be compared to the non-indigenous population, of which only 30% are under twenty years of age.

Labour Force

Indigenous unemployment is significantly lower in the Carrathool Shire than in both the Riverina and NSW.

The level of unemployment for males and females are quite different, as females have an unemployment rate of zero. It should be taken into consideration however that there are a higher number of females not in the labour force than males.

The average unemployment rate of indigenous persons in the Carrathool Shire (10.2%) is almost four times the unemployment rate for the total population (2.6%).

Education

Level of Education

The most common form of post-school qualification completed by Carrathool residents is a certificate (10.9%), possibly due to the high number of tradespersons and labourers and a heavy reliance on agricultural industries.

Females are more likely to hold graduate diplomas and certificates or bachelor degrees. Whereas males tend to pursue certificate and diploma qualifications.

Field of Education

The most common fields of study in the Carrathool Shire are agricultural and environmental, engineering and management and commerce.

Males dominate the areas of agriculture, engineering and architecture. Females are quite different, focusing in the areas of management, education and health.

These trends are similar to those of the Riverina region and NSW as a whole.

Internet Use

Over 23% of residents in the Carrathool Shire use the Internet, with most use occurring in the home.

Twenty-six percent of females use the Internet, in comparison to 22% of males.

The highest level of Internet use (14%) was recorded in the prime working age bracket (25-64 years).

Industry

Industry Performance

Industry growth due to local factors was strongest in the agriculture (121 jobs created between 1996 and 2001), manufacturing (49 jobs) and retail trade (28 jobs) industries. This is a positive result for the region as the agriculture and manufacturing industries are "wealth creators" which generate economic activity that flows on to other industries in the region. The Carrathool Shire also has a number of industries that are performing better than state and industry averages.

Employment by Occupation

Most employment in the Carrathool Shire is in managers and administrators occupations.

This is mostly due to the high number of farmers and small business owners who are classified as managers.

Males are mostly employed in managerial, production and transport and labourers occupations. Females tend to hold managerial, labourer and clerical occupations. The prevalence of females in the managerial and labourers occupations can be attributed to agricultural work.

The Shire has a high proportion of managers, labourers and production and transport workers compared to NSW.

Employment

Labour Force Status

The average rate of unemployment in the Carrathool Shire is 2.6% with a participation rate of 68.5%.

The Carrathool Shire experienced employment growth of 12.9% between 1996 and 2001. This is more than three times the average rate of growth for the Riverina of 4.0%.

The rate of unemployment for males is higher than that of females for all age groups except the 35-44 years age group.

The highest level of unemployment is in the 15-24 years age group, followed by the 25-34 years age group.

Employment Trend

Agriculture has remained the largest employer in the Carrathool Shire since 1991.

The largest increase in employment since 1991 occurred in the manufacturing industry. The largest decrease occurred in the agriculture industry.

In 2001, female employment was strongest in the agriculture, retail and education industries.

In contrast, male employment was most heavily concentrated in the agriculture sector the construction and retail industries were also large employers.

Building Approvals

The total value of building approvals in the Carrathool Shire in 2002 was $1.1 million. The average price of building approvals was $140,000.

The value of residential building approvals grew by 23.6% p.a. between 1998 and 2002. This is lower than the average growth of 55% for NSW and the Riverina (43.7%).

The building boom experienced over the past couple of years has not really affected the Carrathool Shire with a fall in value of building approvals occurring as recently as June 2003.

The large increase in value around September 2001 can be attributed to local factors. Due to the small population size of Carrathool, the increase may not be proportionately represented.