Twin Cities a Commute Closer
Posted on January 25th, 2018
TWIN CITIES A COMMUTE CLOSER…
413 additional Rockhampton workers are now commuting to the Capricorn Coast to conduct their jobs which is a 46.4% increase over 5 years (2011 to 2016).
The 2011 census revealed that 890 workers living in Rockhampton commuted daily to the Capricorn Coast, with that number increasing to 1,303 commuters recorded in the 2016 census.
Capricorn Enterprise chief executive Mary Carroll said “It’s been long established that a third of the workers who live on the Capricorn Coast commute daily to Rockhampton for work, but this increasing trend in the reverse is most interesting.”
Ms Carroll said “an increase in Rocky workers commuting to the coast for employment reflects industry growth in Yeppoon and the beachside communities which is a positive indicator of economic growth.”
Ms Carroll said “Commuters from the city to the coast are mainly in the areas of manufacturing, public administration (i.e. government jobs local and state), education and training, followed by construction, accommodation/food services and health care”.
“Whilst 34% of workers on the Capricorn Coast commute daily to Rocky for work, this increase has been less than 5% in five years. The statistics also demonstrate that more workers are being employed locally on the coast, which augers well for local job seekers. Whilst Rockhampton will continue to be the capital of CQ, a strengthening coastal economy is just as important.” she said.
Approximately half of the 5,277 workers living in the Livingstone Shire and commuting daily to the Beef Capital for work are from the suburbs north of Rockhampton (Glenlee, Glendale, Olive Estate, Caves), with the remainder living on the Capricorn Coast. This represents an increase of 4.9%, or 247 people compared to 2011.
“Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast are integrally linked and these figures again re-enforce the symbiotic relationship in our very diverse localities” she said.
The 2014-2020 Capricorn Destination Tourism Plan supports a name change from Livingstone Shire to “City of the Capricorn Coast”, a topic which has been re-ignited in recent media reports.
Ms Carroll said “it just makes sense that Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast are promoted by both local governments and Capricorn Enterprise as being strong and diverse ‘twin cities’ within the Southern Great Barrier Reef destination.”
Source: ABS, Census of Population and Housing 2016
