The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) has issued its annual report on NSW’s population, declaring that the State continued to grow in 2020 despite the pandemic causing a drop in overseas immigration.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes said the report, 2020 Population Insights, showed the pandemic slowed population growth in the short-term but would not alter the long-term growth that informed housing and land development targets.
“Not surprisingly, the biggest hit to population growth has been from the declining numbers of overseas migrants during the pandemic,” Mr Stokes said.
“This has led to a 99 per cent fall in the number of people both leaving and coming to Australia,” he said.
“The report also makes the assumption that Australia-wide, net overseas migration will fall from approximately 154,000 people in 2019–2020 to approximately 72,000 people by the end of 2020–2021.
Mr Stokes said that for the first time in 23 years fewer people were leaving NSW for Victoria.
“Internal migration estimates suggest that 2,000 fewer NSW residents left for Victoria during the June Quarter 2020 when compared to same time last year, while slightly fewer people relocated to Queensland than a year ago,” the Minister said.
DPIE’s 10-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
