Tumbarumba Regional Profile

The main regional centre in the Tumbarumba Shire is Tumbarumba which is a regional town situated 475 km south west of Sydney on the southern slopes of the Snowy Mountains.

In 2001 the population of the Tumbarumba Shire was 3,727, an increase of 1.4% since 1996. Most of this growth was driven by large increases in the number of residents aged over 40.

There are around 1,565 people in the workforce in the Tumbarumba Shire, of which 63% work full-time and 27% work part-time. At the time of the last census 5% of residents were unemployed.

The three largest employers in the Tumbarumba Shire are the agriculture (30.4%), manufacturing (11.9%) and retail (10.3%) industries. The median taxable income for the Tumbarumba Shire is approximately $644 per week.

Demographics

Age Distribution

Between 1996 and 2001 Tumbarumba Shire experienced a growth in population of 1.4%.

There was a decline of 10.5% in the number of residents under 40 years of age. This decline was offset by large increases in most of the older demographics.

Tumbarumba Shire has a population distribution close to the state and regional averages, however it is slightly more skewed to residents aged over 25 years.

Income

The median taxable income for the Tumbarumba Shire is approximately $644 per week. This is only slightly lower than the average for the Riverina as a whole.

The highest proportion of residents in the Tumbarumba Shire (14.1%) earn between $200 and $299 per week.

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

Indigenous Profile

Indigenous Persons

Indigenous persons account for 2.2% of the total population in the Tumbarumba Shire. This is lower than the average for the Riverina region (3.3%) and slightly higher than the average for NSW (2%).

While the indigenous population tends to be skewed towards younger age groups, this does not appear to be the case in Tumbarumba.

Labour Force

Indigenous unemployment is much higher in the Tumbarumba Shire than the averages for either the Riverina or NSW.

The level of unemployment for females is 0%, in fact there are no indigenous females in the labour force in the Tumbarumba shire.

There are also very few indigenous males in the labour force, which may be the reason for the seemingly extreme rate of unemployment.

The average unemployment rate of indigenous persons in the Tumbarumba Shire (50%) is more than ten times the unemployment rate for the total population (4.6%).

Education

Level of Education

The most common form of post-school qualification completed by Tumbarumba residents is a certificate (10.5%).

Males tend to pursue certificate or diploma qualifications, while females are evenly spread across certificates and bachelor degree qualifications.

Tumbarumba has a higher average level of education than the Riverina but is lower than the state average.

Field of Education

The most common field of study in the Tumbarumba Shire is the engineering.

Engineering and agriculture are the most common fields of study for males. Females tend to move into the health and management fields

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

Internet Use

Over 25% of residents in the Tumbarumba Shire use the Internet, with most use occurring in the home.

The level of use of the Internet for males is slightly lower than that of females (24% and 26% respectively).

Only 0.6% of people aged over 65 use the Internet with highest use in the prime working age bracket (25-64 years).

Industry

Industry Performance

Industry growth due to local factors was strongest in the wholesale trade (23 jobs created between 1996 and 2001), construction (15 jobs) and manufacturing (11 jobs) industries.

Employment by Occupation

Employment in the Tumbarumba Shire is concentrated in managers and administrators as well as labourers and related occupations.

The prevalence of these occupations is attributable to the high number of farmers and small business owners who are classified as managers.

Males are mostly employed as managers, production and transport workers and labourers. Females however, tend to be employed in clerical, professional or managerial occupations.

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

Employment

Labour Force Status

The average rate of unemployment in the Tumbarumba Shire is 4.6% with a participation rate of 51.4%.

The Tumbarumba Shire experienced a decline in the number employed of 2.9% between 1996 and 2001. This is low compared to the average rate of growth for the Riverina of 4.0%.

The rate of unemployment for males (5.6%) is much higher than that of females (3.0%). There is however a larger proportion of females not in the labour force compared to males.

Employment Trend

Agriculture has remained the largest employer in the Tumbarumba Shire since 1991. The manufacturing and retail industries are also large.

The largest increase in employment since 1991 occurred in the manufacturing sector. The largest decrease occurred in the electricity gas and water supply industry.

Male employment is concentrated in the agriculture, electricity, gas and water supply and manufacturing industries. A high number of females are also employed in the agriculture sector, the retail and health and community services sectors are also large employers.

Building Approvals

The total value of building approvals in the Tumbarumba Shire in 2002 was $283,000. The average price of building approvals was $283,000.

The value of residential building approvals fell by 6% p.a. between 1998 and 2002. This was despite an average growth of 55% for NSW and the Riverina (43.7%).

The building market in Tumbarumba appears to follow similar general trends as the Riverina region. There has however been a significant increase in value since March 2003, which can only be attributed to local factors.