Ballina Information Blog

Here in Ballina Shire, we really are getting older.

Figures tabled at the January 19 Ballina Shire Council meeting discussion on the State Environmental Planning Policy (Seniors Living 2004) showed that:

* Ballina Shire has a higher proportion of people over 55 (29.7 per cent) compared with the New South Wales State average (21.5 per cent).

* The proportion of older people in the shire is expected to increase. It is projected that people aged over 65 will increase from 19 per cent in 2001 to 24 per cent in 2026.

* The distribution of older people in the shire is not even. More seniors live in Ballina and Alstonville than other areas of the shire.

* The average number of people per house is 2.4 in Ballina Shire. The State average is 2.6. Ballina’s average is expected to decrease to 2.1 by 2026.

* The proportion of lone-person households is expected to increase from 26 per cent in 2001 to 30 per cent by 2026.

So what do these figures mean? Well, Ballina Shire is going to become increasingly popular as a place to retire, and the area must cater for this increase.

Ballina Shire says this means accommodating a greater number of people in smaller households over the next 20 years.

“This has implications with respect to housing type, services and infrastructure, accessibility, social interaction and health and well-being,” the council report said.

“More specifically, such trends will place increased demand on the shire for the provision of a range of housing styles that are well-serviced, accessible and are located in close proximity to key community services and facilities such as health care and suitable recreation opportunities.”

And the good news from all of this? The council says Ballina Island is fully serviced with key infrastructure, is predominantly flat and houses a range of healthcare, social and recreational opportunities. It also possesses key commericial facilities, welfare services, learning and education opportunities and emergency services.

More details — visit www.ballinacouncil.com.au

This entry was posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2006 at 4:04 pm and is filed under Alstonville, Ballina, Lennox Head. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.