ARMIDALE is nipping at Tamworth’s heels, with one of the fastest population growth rates in country NSW, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The news comes after Tamworth mayor Col Murray spat the dummy over being “treated unfairly” in the decentralisation debate, asking why town’s like Armidale were being propped-up over the country music capital.
Armidale Regional Council councillor Peter Bailey said the numbers place the region just behind Tamworth, which for years has been the market leader for population growth in New England.
Read more stories:
“We are confident this is just the beginning of sustained growth and should help us reach our long term objective of reaching 35,000 residents,” he said.
“These figures don’t represent the growth that will occur from TAFE Digital and AVPMA over the last 12 months and next few years.
“In addition the refugee resettlement will also have a positive impact on our population growth.”
From 2016 to 2017, Armidale grew 0.8 per cent, just 0.1 per cent behind the home of the Big Golden Guitar.
Both regional cities have been vying for the attention of big industry, like the Qantas Pilot Training Academy –expected to bring more than 500 pilots through town each year.
The initial investment by Qantas is expected to be close to $20 million.
Armidale mayor Simon Murray said it makes sense that big organisations are looking to Armidale to settle down.
“It makes sense to locate the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority in Armidale as we do have the University of New England and there can be good links between the two organisations,” he said.
“The TAFE Digital would be linked to NBN fibre to the premises – so in both cases Armidale may appear more suited than Tamworth.”
But, he said there’s no need for sour grapes on either part, “I think they [Tamworth] should be happy, as the whole region benefits,” he said.