Coolamon Regional Profile

The main regional centre in the Coolamon Shire is Coolamon which is a regional town situated 475 km south west of Sydney, via the Hume and Sturt Highways.

In 2001 the population of the Coolamon Shire was 4,122, an increase of 4.4% since 1996. The Shire has a relatively high proportion of people aged under 15 and over 65 compared to NSW and the Riverina.

There are around 1,753 people in the workforce in the Coolamon Shire, of which 64% work full-time and 27% work part-time. At the time of the last census 6% of residents were unemployed.

Two of the largest employers in the Coolamon Shire are the agriculture (33.4%) and retail (9.6%) industries. The median taxable income for the Coolamon Shire is approximately $658 per week.

Demographics

Age Distribution

Between 1996 and 2001 the Coolamon Shire experienced population growth of 4.4%.

Coolamon Shire has a higher proportion of residents aged under 15 and over 65 than the average for NSW and the Riverina.

Forty-nine percent of the Shires population are in the prime working age group (25-64 years). This is lower than the averages of both the Riverina and NSW.

Income

The median taxable income for the Coolamon Shire is approximately $658 per week. This is higher than the average for the Riverina as a whole.

The highest proportion of residents in the Coolamon Shire (15.2%) earn between $200 and $299 per week.

Average weekly income for females is around $100 less per week than that of males.

Indigenous Profile

Indigenous Persons

Indigenous persons account for 1.4% of the total population in the Coolamon Shire. This is lower than the average for both the Riverina region (3.3%) and NSW (2%).

Over 55% of the indigenous residents in the Coolamon Shire are under twenty years of age. This can be compared to the non-indigenous population, of which only 31% are under twenty years of age.

Labour Force

Indigenous unemployment is significantly lower in the Coolamon 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.

The average unemployment rate of indigenous persons in the Coolamon Shire (17.6%) is almost three times the unemployment rate for the total population (6.1%).

Education

Level of Education

The most common form of post-school qualification completed by Coolamon residents is a certificate (11.7%), possibly due to the high number of tradespersons and labourers and a heavy reliance on agricultural industries.

Both males and females tend to pursue certificate qualifications or bachelor degrees.

Field of Education

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

Males dominate the areas of engineering and agriculture. Females have focused on 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 26% of residents in the Coolamon Shire use the Internet, with most use occurring in the home.

Twenty-eight percent of females use the Internet, in comparison to 25% of males.

The highest level of Internet use (15.3%) was recorded in the prime working age bracket (25-64 years).

Industry

Industry Performance

Industry growth due to local factors was strongest in the government administration and defence (22 jobs created between 1996 and 2001), retail trade (18 jobs) and construction (15 jobs) industries. The Coolamon Shire experienced moderate growth in employment between 1996 and 2001, however there are a number of industries that are performing above state and industry averages.

Employment by Occupation

Most employment in the Coolamon 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 as managers, tradespersons and labourers. Females tend to be employed in managerial, clerical and professional occupations.

The Shire has a high proportion of managers and labourers compared to NSW and the Riverina.

Employment

Labour Force Status

The average rate of unemployment in the Coolamon Shire is 6.1% with a participation rate of 58.2%.

The Coolamon Shire experienced employment growth of 11.0% between 1996 and 2001. This is much higher than the average rate of growth for the Riverina of 4.0%.

The rate of unemployment for females is higher than that of males in the Coolamon Shire. This is unusual as males tend to have the higher rate.

The highest level of unemployment is in the 15-24 years age group, followed by the 35-44 years age group.

Employment Trend

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

The largest increase in employment since 1991 occurred in the health and community services industry. The largest decrease occurred in the agriculture industry.

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

In contrast, male employment was most heavily concentrated in the agriculture, manufacturing and retail sectors.

Building Approvals

The total value of building approvals in the Coolamon Shire in 2002 was $2.9 million. The average price of building approvals was $168,000.

The value of residential building approvals grew by 27.7% p.a. between 1998 and 2002. This is lower than the average growth of 55% for NSW and the Riverina (43.7%).

The building market in Coolamon appears to be less volatile than that of the Riverina and is growing at a rate faster than NSW.